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:

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.
Beth Maiman smiles at the camera while holding the Sports Emmy Award she received in 2017.
Alumni profile: Beth Maiman's interest in sports journalism led her to the Emmys
Maiman's experience at the SOJC, including as the sports editor for the Daily Emerald, led her to an Emmy just two years after graduation.
Sami Edge
Alumni profile: Sami Edge ‘16 on the power of local journalism
Sami Edge gained tons of hands-on experience as a student-reporter at the SOJC. Now she covers higher education for The Oregonian through Report for America.
A woman speaking into a microphone outside of Autzen Stadium.
Alumni profile: Jessie Rae Price ’18, production assistant for E! News’ social media team
Jessie Rae Price credits the SOJC for teaching her about ethics, angles, and unbiased reporting as she covers entertainment for the E! News’ social media team.