Meet our Journalism Program Alumni

Our J-grads build crossfunctional and transferable skills that can translate to a career in any medium, from digital and multimedia storytelling to documentary filmmaking. They also graduate with an entrepreneurial mindset that allows them to evolve with the industry, with many potential paths to success. See what some of our outstanding alums are up to now:

Bruce Poinsette stands in front of a classroom of students with a projector screen behind him
Alumni Profile: Bruce Poinsette ’11 finds a voice in freelance journalism and activism for Black media representation
A lifelong love for storytelling led the Oregon native to carve out a path for himself as a full-time freelance journalist, educator and Black activist, telling stories that expose social injustice.
Nate Jackson
Alumni Profile: Nate Jackson ’05 captivates thousands with his role as an emcee
Duck fans will recognize journalism alum Nate Jackson’s voice as the live emcee for Oregon football and basketball. He took a wide-ranging journey to come full-circle back to UO.
John Strong
Alumni Profile: John Strong ’07, the voice of soccer on FOX
Before journalism alum John Strong became the voice of soccer on FOX, he cut his teeth as a broadcaster on UO’s student-run radio station KWVA.
Sutton Raphael looks into a video camera display
Alumni Profile: Sutton Raphael '16 takes a creative approach to environmental communication
Sutton Raphael rode his youthful passion for camerawork to the SOJC and then to a career as a filmmaker specializing in environmental education.
Rebecca Woolington, Corey G. Johnson and Eli Murray pose for a picture
Alumni Profile: Rebecca Woolington ’09 wins SOJC’s 15th Pulitzer for exposé of toxic business practices
Rebecca Woolington and colleagues at the Tampa Bay Times won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting on the toxic business practices of a Florida lead smelter. But she got her start writing for the Daily Emerald.
Liz Schuler, AFL-CIO president, stands at a podium surrounded by supporters and backed by the US flag
SOJC alumna Liz Shuler is a voice for the people as AFL-CIO president
Liz Shuler puts the powerful communication skills she gained at the SOJC to good use advocating for better jobs and equitable pay as the AFL-CIO’s first woman president.
Hanin Najjar
SOJC graduate launches an inclusive media company
As an Arab-American and Muslim woman, Hanin Najjar realized how misrepresented her community was in the media. So the SOJC alum launched the inclusive company Parachute Media.
Kezia Setyawan sits among fallen insulation and other debris in her partially demolished apartment after Hurricane Ida
Kezia Setyawan ’20 reports from inside Hurricane Ida
Kezia Setyawan went straight from the SOJC to the Daily Comet in Houma, Louisiana, where she covered the aftermath of Hurricane Ida—while living through it.
Jeff Dean looks into the lens while wearing a dark hooded rain jacket.
Jeff Dean ’18 on documenting the world around him with photography
U.S. Army veteran Jeff Dean saw the impact of photography while serving as a medevac crew chief in Iraq. Then he realized his dream as a professional photographer via a Journalism Master’s degree.
Chris Frisella takes a selfie in front of a cascading mountain view.
Alumni profile: Navigating the world of journalism: top 8 tips from seasoned SOJC graduate Chris Frisella ‘85
Veteran journalist and SOJC alum Chris Frisella provides pearls of wisdom for young professionals to forge a successful media career.