For DVC graduate Abel Anguiano, community college seemed like a great way to transfer to a four-year university. What he didn’t expect, and simultaneously gained, was the start of an exciting career in the sports media field.
Abel grew up in the Bay Area and as a first-generation college student, he wanted to take advantage of the higher education opportunities his parents never had. But entering college during the pandemic wasn’t easy. “It was definitely a challenge my first semester trying to balance work and 17 units without really knowing what I was getting myself into ”
As he was finishing high school and starting college he was also dealing with anxiety, which at times made it difficult to move forward.
“The end of my high school years and the start of college was defined by the pandemic. Since I wasn't on campus a lot at first, I had no idea who to turn to. Fortunately, I found that I could talk to my professors. They helped me the most in terms of my academic struggle during the pandemic.”
Even though his primary goal at DVC was to transfer, he soon realized earning an associate degree in journalism was within reach, so he decided to pursue his goal of working in sports media.
“Early in high school, I knew I wanted to work in the sports journalism world as I felt I was a decent writer. After learning the basics of multimedia in high school (Mt. Diablo High), I never felt more eager to pursue this career.”
Abel says thanks to DVC’s journalism program he was able to hone all of the skills needed to go into the field, particularly writing, video production, photography, editing, interviewing, media ethics, and more. “I've always loved sports (and have played soccer since I was five) and knew I wanted to work in the sports media field.”
And since earning his DVC degree, he’s done just that.
“I have covered a professional Bay Area soccer club, the San Jose Earthquakes, as a freelancer for Area Sports Network, covered a soccer tournament in Las Vegas where I got to do post-match interviews with players and coaches, and worked as a sports producer at Telemundo 48 covering all the Bay Area sports teams and attending the games as media such as the San Jose Earthquakes, San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, San Jose Sharks, and Golden State Warriors.”
Abel is now a full-time student at UC Berkeley double-majoring in comparative literature and Hispanic linguistics, two areas of study that he says he’s also passionate about.
But he hasn’t given up his love of working in sports media. “Last semester I worked at NBC Bay Area as a newswriting intern and this semester I am working at the same station for Telemundo 48 where I work as a sports producer intern. ”
Looking to the future, Abel sees himself continuing to grow in his chosen field. “I want to get work experience as a reporter or producer/journalist and build a foundation to hopefully one day work in sports documentary-film making.”
What does Abel want other prospective students who are considering college to know? “DVC as a whole is just a wonderful student-centric campus. Not only that, but my transition to UC Berkeley was smooth and I feel prepared in my current classes. Having made valuable connections with my DVC professors helped me understand who I was as a person navigating this huge world of academia. DVC is a great way to explore who you are.”
See what DVC can do for you! Learn more about DVC’s journalism program.
