From Audio Club to OPB and KLCC, Julia Boboc has built an impressive resume — all before graduation.
by Leo Heffron, Class of ’26
When a message arrived in Julia Boboc’s inbox congratulating her for placing sixth nationally in the Hearst Journalism Awards’ audio competition, the fourth-year journalism major assumed it was a hoax.
“I was like, ‘Oh, this is spam’,” Boboc said. “I hadn’t even submitted anything myself.”
In fact, Maya Lazaro, the UO School of Journalism and Communication’s (SOJC) exhibits, publications and student competitions coordinator, had entered two of Boboc’s audio stories from her internship at Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) into the prestigious collegiate journalism competition.
Out of hundreds of entries from around the country, Boboc’s work placed sixth. Because one finalist had already graduated, she was invited to San Francisco — all expenses paid — to compete in the top-five round, where she produced a story about immigration policies in less than three days.
Although she did not place in the top three, as a finalist, she won $1,500 and got a huge confidence boost.
“It was insane,” Boboc said. “I was like, ‘What am I doing here?’ But I felt really proud of the work that got me there.”
Meet Julia Boboc
Biggest college accomplishment:
Scoring my two internships at Oregon Public Broadcasting and KLCC. I did not expect to get either one, and it feels like such an incredible privilege.
SOJC faculty or staff who made the biggest impression on you and how:
Charlie Deitz. I don’t know if I would’ve gotten into radio without his support. I’d also like to shout out Professor Brent Walth for having faith in me.
Best thing about the SOJC:
Making valuable connections with professors, staff and peers. I would not be as successful as I am today without the journalists here, and I would not be graduating without Sally Garner, the SOJC’s senior director for student success.
Favorite free time activity:
What’s free time?
Favorite podcasts:
“One Cool Story” is number one, of course (#shamefulplug). But I also love “Revisionist History” by Malcolm Gladwell. It is so quirky and well-made. Oh, and check out third-year journalism major Meileen Arroyo’s “What About Us” podcast about the intersection of race and eating disorders.
Head over heels for journalism
Boboc’s journey to audio journalism began long before the Hearst Awards. She grew up around the globe — spending her early years in San Antonio, Texas; middle school in Spain; and high school in Portland, Oregon. Her first brush with journalism came in high school, when she flipped a coin to choose between theater and journalism for her electives. Theater won, but after discovering the stage was not for her, she realized that writing stories and telling people’s narratives was her true passion.
“I absolutely fell in love — like head over heels,” Boboc said. “It was the perfect combination of all of my passions: talking to people, reading, writing and carefully crafting narratives.”
When the time came to research colleges, the SOJC piqued her interest. An affordable in-state university with a highly ranked journalism program was an easy choice.
She entered the SOJC thinking she’d pursue a career as a TV reporter, and then a print reporter. But in her Gateway to Media course, she produced an audio profile of Mia Schuman who was a professional mountain biker.
“I didn’t even think audio was an option until I did my Gateway piece,” she said. “I just had such a great time figuring out how to tell her story and incorporate the sounds underneath.”
SOJC Assistant Teaching Professor Charlie Deitz noticed her passion and suggested she check out Audio Club, a student-led organization for people exploring podcasting and sound storytelling.
Boboc found like-minded peers and mentors at Audio Club, including Mirandah Davis-Powell, who helped her build confidence as a storyteller by inviting her to work for The Daily Emerald as a podcast producer. By the following year, Boboc became president of Audio Club and began gaining real-world audio journalism experience that would later prepare her for critical internships.
Deitz said Boboc took over the club and really built it up, creating an identity around it.
“She’s one of those students who, whatever she wants to get into, she's going to do a good job,” Deitz said. “I’ve endorsed her journey while she’s learned from other sources. We’re more partners when it comes to audio than I am a mentor for her.”
In fact, it was Deitz who recommended her for a writing internship with the SOJC’s Communication Office. When the team decided to start an SOJC podcast in 2024, Boboc immediately volunteered to interview guests and be the host of “One Cool Story: Tales from the UO SOJC.”
Her previous experience with audio, including her work on the “How It’s Reported” podcast for The Daily Emerald, prepared her to take on the SOJC podcast, which features engaging interviews with SOJC alumni, students, staff and faculty.
SOJC opportunities led to critical internships
Boboc’s hands-on training accelerated when she got the Maynard E. Orme internship at OPB, a competitive position reserved for UO SOJC students. Instead of fetching coffee or shadowing reporters, Boboc found herself fully integrated into the newsroom from the start.
“Day one, I got there and my editor — who is amazing — said, ‘Well, you’re a reporter now. Here’s your desk. I have an assignment for you,’” she recalled. Immersed in the quick-turn, high-leverage tasks of a professional environment, Boboc learned to trust her instincts and skills.
Boboc said SOJC student organizations and opportunities helped her get an edge when applying for the OPB internship.
“I really didn’t think I was going to get the internship with so little experience,” Boboc said. “But it showed me that I actually do have experience from the Audio Club and podcasting at the Emerald.”
Her time at OPB strengthened her experience in audio journalism and journalism as a whole, helping her gain confidence and knowledge at a well-known news outlet.
“It went by so quickly, and I did so much cool stuff. I was really, really proud of the work that I did there — like, stupid proud,” Boboc said.
Finding a position while still in school
That confidence and momentum carried Boboc into her next role at KLCC, the NPR public radio affiliate for Eugene. Boboc first worked with KLCC through an internship from the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism.
“At KLCC, I feel like I have earned my place,” Boboc said. “I know why I am here because I’ve worked hard, and at the same time, I know I have room to grow.”
At KLCC, she pushed herself to pursue topics outside her comfort zone, especially education reporting. “KLCC let me focus on stories that I hadn’t tried before. I got to ask, ‘What do I want to bring to the table as a journalist?’” Boboc said.
Each internship built on lessons learned in the last one, eventually leading to a journalism fellowship with KLCC, where she currently works. She’s produced and written pieces on local government, environment and education.
Looking back, Boboc credits these real-world experiences — and the trust placed in her by mentors and editors — for shaping her identity as a journalist.
Leo Heffron is a fourth-year journalism major at the SOJC, with a minor in Spanish. He loves to write about many topics, but fashion and social issues are his favorites. You can find his work in The Daily Emerald.
