WHERE ARE THEY NOW?: Sarah Rodriguez, Class of 2019
Trojan alum graduates from university as Editor-in-Chief of Cal State East Bay’s student newspaper.
Trojan to Pioneer
As a member of the Yucca Valley High School class of 2019, Sarah Rodriguez was one of a small group of students who noticed the lack of student journalism on campus. With only six members, the Journalism Club was reborn, and its members began reporting almost immediately, kicking off the rebirth of this very publication in 2018.
After graduation, Sarah traveled to Hayward, California, home of California State University, East Bay. There, she majored in Multimedia Journalism, minored in English, and worked her way from intern to Editor-in-Chief of her university’s school newspaper, The Pioneer, which has been providing student journalism to its community since 1961.
At Cal State Easy Bay, being surrounded by like-minded students created an energy that spurred Sarah from intern, to Copy Editor, and eventually, to Editor-in-Chief.
Pursuing a Path
Sarah jumped right into journalism at college, beginning with an internship at The Pioneer. Then the pandemic hit, changing everyone’s plans. Despite the uncertainty, she kept pushing forward, working to meet her goals — and her deadlines. “Within my first few months at East Bay, my admiration for [journalism] quickly flourished. During my first pitch meeting as an intern with The Pioneer, it felt like my eyes were finally opened…it genuinely felt like for the first time in possibly forever, I was in the right place.” Being surrounded by like-minded students created an energy that spurred Sarah from intern, to Copy Editor, and eventually, to Editor-in-Chief.
The Multimedia Journalism major provided some unforgettable, formative experiences: “Last year, alongside my fellow Senior Editors, I had the pleasure of attending my first College Media Association event in New York. We were able to learn directly from leading journalists at The Washington Post, The New York Times, and CNN, and better understand the capabilities that a journalist possesses.”
“Through The Pioneer, my team and I were able to touch the lives of our campus community, spotlight small businesses owners, share stories from marginalized communities, and shed much-needed light on community issues.”
The Top Job
As Editor-in-Chief, Sarah was able to carry out her vision for the paper. She worked with the Communications Department Chair and many distinguished professors. She redesigned The Pioneer’s social media and newsletter presence, implemented administrative changes, and redesigned the layout for The Pioneer’s print editions. Under her supervision, the staff flexed the power of the press: “My team and I were able to touch the lives of our campus community, spotlight small businesses owners, share stories from marginalized communities, and shed much-needed light on community issues, such as sexual assault, lack of diversity among student government, and women’s rights.”
That spirit of communication and creation is still with her today. She still remembers the day in early February when the Spring Edition had just been shipped to the university. “When I arrived and saw the massive pallets piled high with four thousand copies of our paper, the paper that we had spent relentless hours in the newsroom designing, editing, and then redesigning — it was something I’ll never forget.”
“Journalism Club that showed me that my writing had a place in this world. That the silly little words I wanted to scratch on paper actually weren’t silly at all, but they were powerful.”
The First Odyssey
Looking back, it’s hard to believe that as a high school senior Sarah felt “lost, angry, and confused” as classmates excitedly discussed their future careers. “I myself, felt that nothing pulled and tugged at me in that same way,” she says. “I was not drawn to anything…until Journalism Club. I had always loved writing — I just didn’t quite know what to do with that. YVHS prepared me with the basics: math, English, biology, and physics. However, it was Mr. Sanchez and Journalism Club that showed me that my writing had a place in this world. That the silly little words I wanted to scratch on paper actually weren’t silly at all, but they were powerful.”
As for what’s next for the recent graduate, for the moment she’s enjoying a well-earned break, with time to “finally read those books I’ve been setting aside for the past four years and learn guitar. The last time I took a summer off was actually in high school, during my junior year summer, so it’s long overdue.” Despite her plans to relax, Sarah will also find time to mentor the next editor-in-chief of The Pioneer and begin an internship with a tech-based media outlet in the San Francisco Bay Area.
