During Cal State Fullerton’s Comm Week event, local alumni spoke to college journalism students curious about where to take their career next and how to improve in the industry.
Voice of OC reporter Noah Biesiada – a CSUF Journalism alumni from the class of 2021 – spoke alongside five other speakers on the panel: OC Register Senior Editor Todd Harmonson, Washington Post Senior Software Engineer, Lucio Villa, USA Today reporter, Jordan Mendoza, Lake Forest Communications and Marketing Manager Jonathan Volzke and retired longtime OC journalist Cathi Douglas, with the professionals offering advice to the incoming generation of journalists.
The panel was moderated by Cal State Fullerton Journalism Professor Walter Baranger, who also serves as faculty newsroom advisor for the campus newsroom, the Daily Titan.
Comm week is an annual event held by Cal State Fullerton intending to prepare and answer any questions students may have regarding careers in communications.
Biesiada offered a myriad of recommendations to students saying that they shouldn’t let any factors like their age or experience influence their journalism.
Biesiada added that the best way to get work as a young journalist is to be enterprising and to “just do it.”
Training and guiding the next generation of journalists is extremely important at Voice of OC, with Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Norberto Santana, Jr. and Civic Editor Spencer Custodio having participated in previous years at Comm Week.
Voice of OC continues to work with college students through internships and fellowships to ensure the continuation of in-depth civic coverage at the local level.
