This post was updated on June 20 at 1:35 p.m.
Iris Goldsztajn opened the Google Docs app on her phone and began writing a new magazine article while simultaneously beginning her workout on an elliptical.
An avid magazine reader and strong multitasker, the now-graduated communication studies student has pursued a path in magazine journalism since before high school. Beginning her second year at UCLA, Goldsztajn wrote hundreds of articles starting with hercampus.com, an online women’s magazine.
As a fourth year during the 2015-2016 school year, Goldsztajn started UCLA’s branch of the national club Ed2010, an organization for students who are interested in magazines. Goldsztain, a former Daily Bruin Mojo writer, will intern for Cosmopolitan over the summer.
While growing up, Goldsztajn said she related to magazines the most, which encouraged her to become a writer.
“They were really inspiring for me,” Goldsztajn said. “They painted the type of life I might want when I grow up.”
Goldsztajn said she found inspiration in Cosmopolitan magazine because it was one of the first publications that talked about important issues for women like sex, women’s rights and abortion.
“I read a lot of women’s magazines, and I love the notion of women helping other women,” Goldsztajn said.
Along with articles centered around women, Goldsztajn has also written about topics ranging from dating advice to student fundraising for publications such as Goop and C California Style. Goldsztajn said her favorite article she wrote was an introduction to asexuality, which drew attention to a largely unrepresented community.
Goldsztajn expanded on her passion for magazines this year by leading the club Ed2010. Goldsztajn said she was refreshing the Ed2010 website on her laptop like she usually does when she noticed a tab for college campuses. After discovering that UCLA didn’t have a chapter, she applied to the national organization and started a branch with co-founder and now-UCLA alumna Phoebe Neuman.
Neuman said the club’s goal is to help students break into the magazine industry, especially in Los Angeles. The club’s events this year included a panel with entertainment magazine writers from BuzzFeed, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Billboard who answered questions regarding their experiences in the magazine and journalism industries.
Neuman said Goldsztajn was the driving force behind the club and that Goldsztajn shares her passion for journalism.
“She’s really good at navigating the cross sections between being intellectual (and) writing about One Direction,” Neuman said.
Rising fourth-year anthropology student Alheli Tostado joined the club during one of its magazine swapping events after hearing about it from a friend’s Facebook post. As Tostado became more involved with the club, she said Goldsztajn helped her strengthen her resume and get an internship with C California Style.
“You can tell (Goldsztajn) enjoys writing and has a knack for it,” Tostado said. “You can see her personality goes through.”
When the club first started, Goldsztain said she struggled to fund events. After a group trip to Ralph’s one night, the club members spent the evening making brownies to sell on Bruin Walk the next day, which was not very profitable.
Since then, Goldsztajn learned about Associated Students UCLA funding for the club after doing more research and no longer puts on bake sales for fundraising. Goldsztajn said the club will continue to grow through the competency of next year’s executive board and the continuation of Los Angeles magazine networking events.
“I am very easily distracted. I’m always thinking about something else or playing on my phone,” Goldsztajn said. “But when I’m writing I can just sit there for hours and churn it out, and (there are) not a lot of things that … can do that … for me.”