From a Toro to a Trojan in Grad School

Destiny Torres, who graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, is continuing her education and has accepted admission into the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism this fall. Along with USC, she was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley and Arizona State University. But before she joins the Trojans, Torres often looks back at her time as a Toro at California State University, Dominguez Hills, the lessons she learned, the relationships she created, and her many positive memories.

From finding friends at the student-run newspaper, the Bulletin, to mentors and professors that truly invested in her education and cared about her success, it's hard for Torres to recall a negative memory. She talks highly of her professors and mentors, noting Professor Joel Beers, Dr. Ryan Bowles Eagle, Dr. Brant Burkey, and Dr. Ana de la Serna. Professors like these helped her build a foundation and confidence in her writing.

"I had those professors and I had those mentors that kind of tried to instill it in me already that [post-graduation] was going to be really, really hard. And I had to work really, really hard. Not just as a young, post-grad student, but also as a woman, also, as a woman of color," Torres said. "It was very evident that a lot of things were going to be a lot tougher and having those really honest conversations with professors like them, it helped me to not give up."

As she rounded out her time at CSUDH, Torres was awarded the Outstanding Senior in Journalism award in 2020, in addition to first place from the California College Media Association for Best Arts & Entertainment story about Dr. Alexandro D. Hernández, and how he brought corrido, a Spanish-language ballad, and other historical and cultural importance to CSUDH's new Chicano/a Studies department and his class.

Post-graduation, Torres freelanced for publications like Beacon Media News, Pasadena Independent, and was a staff writer for Pinnacle Magazine, an online blog for adolescence. There she focused on writing editorials about politics with a sprinkle of literature reviews and recommendations. Although, she admits freelance writing isn't something she imagined she would do, and certainly not forever.

"The pay is not bad," Torres said. "The thing is, [with] freelance you have to know your worth, and you have to be very confident in your work."

But after a few months of freelancing and a seemingly endless job search as a full-time writer, Torres began to revisit the idea of going to graduate school. She reflected on her reasons to apply for graduate school, posing hypothetical questions to herself and envisioning what pursuing another degree would entail.

"There were a lot of things that made me super unsure when I was graduating from Dominguez Hills that I was like, 'Okay, what does grad school really mean to me? And what will I really benefit from, and if there's even a doubt in your mind that you are not going to enjoy it, or you're not going to get a lot out of it, then I would recommend that you don't put yourself through that for no reason," Torres said.

After her self-reflection, Torres began applying for graduate school in fall 2020, somewhat late in the season, she says. Nonetheless, she submitted the applications and waited for an acceptance or rejection letter.

"UC Berkeley was at the top for sure. The only thing that freaked me out a little bit was it was a two-year program. And the other ones were one-year programs," Torres said. "USC's [program] is 11 months, so it's not even a full year."

Torres ultimately chose USC to continue her education and expand her writing and reporting. The deciding factor came down to the cost of tuition and living, how much financial aid she would receive, and how long their Master's programs are. Ultimately, USC's Annenberg Media Center was the cherry on top for Torres.

"I never thought that I would be here in this position, that I could be part of that news team that was in that media center. It's just super cool and surreal and exciting. So I couldn't say no to USC for that reason."

As Torres looks back at her time spent here, it brings a smile to her face because this university holds a special place in her heart, she says.

"I am who I am because of CSUDH. I'm a very different person [now] compared to the person I was freshman year," she said.

Just as Torres grows and makes a name for herself as a journalist, she is equally excited to see the campus and Journalism Program continue to grow.

"I'm excited to see a LatinX center coming to campus," Torres said. "I'm excited to see those new beautiful buildings being built. I'm excited to see the Bulletin grow."