The UCLA community unites to create safe space amid lurking dangers -30-

My mom and I were never quite on the same page when I was growing up. I was always the teenager counting down the days until I could move out and never look back. So, I jumped at the chance to move into UCLA’s dorms the summer before my first year and participate in a […]

News must seek solidarity, justice in whirlwind journey for the truth -30-

I remember my first day as a full-time editor for the Daily Bruin well. Really well. It was about 7 a.m. and Slack notifications were blowing up my phone. It was the first day of zero week, and I ignored the messages as I continued running on the treadmill, my heart racing against my chest. […]

Discovering my passion for storytelling as a Sports insider -30-

I grew up always watching basketball and completely obsessed with the Los Angeles Lakers. But that’s not why I joined Daily Bruin’s Sports section. During high school, I was the friend you asked when you needed help writing thesis statements or editing your essays. But that wasn’t why I spent all five years of my […]

Learning to see my undocumented status as source of inspiration -30-

I was interviewing a President Donald Trump supporter for a story when he asked me a question. “Are you a (U.S.) citizen?” he asked. “I have a green card,” I answered. He himself was a son of immigrants. He talked about how his father had immigrated legally and had worked for years to achieve the […]

My four-year transformation: Still directionless but less worried -30-

I am graduating from UCLA more confused than when I came in. College was supposed to teach me the theories of economics, prepare me for a career in money-making and transform me into a mature, well-functioning adult. I am getting a degree in economics, so I can explain with graphs why I’ll be unemployed this […]

Finding my own voice, adventurous side through the Daily Bruin -30-

People don’t usually listen to me. Most of the time, when I’m in a group – be it working on a project or hanging out with friends – my words get lost in the crowd. People usually pay more attention to each other than to what I say, and they end up repeating a lot […]

Growing up, forging friendships and facing challenges in the newsroom -30-

I had a lot of growing up to do when I first got to UCLA. I came from the smallest high school in a small city. My world was pretty black and white, and I was very green. The Daily Bruin newsroom is where I grew up. Where I made a ton of mistakes, both […]