Stories

I graduated from Santa Clara in 2013 with a degree in history, and for the last five years I've been working at KQED, where I report on state and local politics on our radio, TV, and digital platforms. This year, that meant traveling around the state to cover California's competitive Congressional races, in addition following state ballot measures and other local contests. On Thursday nights, I produce (and occasionally host) our politics show/podcast Political Breakdown, which centers on interviews with politicians and politicos in the state.

At every point in the reporting process, I'm using skills that I learned by getting a history degree at Santa Clara. We're often tasked with digesting large amounts of information: court rulings, background research, campaign filings, or our own interviews, and finding the one or two pieces of information that make the news or provide the crucial context in the final story. Just as important is figuring out what's not there -- that's what still needs to be asked and what shapes our future questions. In addition to the research and analytical skills, there's, of course, the writing -- a lot of it on tight deadlines-- that a history degree is invaluable in developing.