Jazmin Alvarado, a member of the first cohort of Youth Leadership Institute’s (yli) Journalists of Color (JOC) program, graduated from Fresno State in May 2026, becoming the first to complete the program in its entirety. Alvarado graduated with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and a minor in Spanish.
JOC is a collaboration between yli and Fresno State Institute of Media and Public Trust, which provides students a five-year paid pathway to a journalism degree and career. Its mission is to increase the number of journalists of color in San Joaquin Valley newsrooms who can reflect and understand the communities they serve.
Alvarado has loved writing since she was a child, and said her teachers often used her essays as examples for other students. At home, the news was always on because her mother watched it every day.
“My mom is a constant news watcher. She also knew I liked to travel,” Alvarado said. “One day while watching the news she asked if I wanted to be an anchor, since they get to go places and meet people. Those were things I enjoyed, so I took a journalism class in high school and have been fascinated ever since.”
In that class, Alvarado’s teacher was Mianne Sciacqua, whom she credits with introducing her to journalism.
“She was awesome. She became like my school mom and really got me into journalism. She told me I was the only one in the class who was truly interested in journalism; nobody else had the same passion,” Alvarado said.
Alvarado remembered that one of her first assignments in the journalism elective was about a class project called “Carrying Stories.” Students wrote stories and painted butterflies, printing their stories on the butterflies’ wings for display. One butterfly project sold for a few hundred dollars because its story was so meaningful. Alvarado followed the project closely and was surprised when the student’s artwork sold. It showed her how powerful storytelling can be.
“I got to follow the whole process as a journalist and tell the student’s story. It was so much fun, and it was the first time I realized there are so many meaningful things happening in the world, and I can help share these stories and make sure the public knows about the great things going on,” Alvarado said.
After this realization, Alvarado joined the JOC program as a senior in high school to improve her reporting skills and connect with others who shared her passion for storytelling.
“I was looking for more motivation, and I didn’t have that in my circle. So going into this program I hoped to find people who share my interests, could motivate me and offer a different perspective in the field I want to pursue,” Alvarado said.
Since starting the program, Alvarado said JOC and The kNOw Youth Media, another journalism program offered by yli, has broadened her perspective and given her new insights. She has learned new ways to communicate and approach assignments because of the people she has met.
“The program has taught me a lot about sensitivity. The kNOw is very inclusive, and I have met so many different kinds of people that I would never have met if it weren’t for this program,” Alvarado said.
Alvarado recalled one important assignment reporting on a drowning prevention bill in honor of Edison High student Neng Thao. County representatives met with [Neng’s] family and passed a bill in his honor to provide schools with water and swim safety information.
“I got to talk with [Neng’s] brother and parents. They said they hope people will see what happened to their son as a learning experience, not something to pity, because his life still meant something,” Alvarado said.
Alvarado said the advice she would give new participants starting in the JOC program is to come in with an open mind, be willing to cover anything and be willing to learn and learn from others.
“You have to be a go-getter. If you want the story, you have to go after it. This program has the capability to let you do so much, and they let you write about anything. You just have to want to and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to write this.’”
Alvarado said that the program introduced her to various groups of people, and because of that she learned interviewing skills, how to be personable and how to talk to people of different backgrounds.
“I was introduced to broadcast journalism, print journalism and the different kinds of journalism. Before, I thought journalism was strictly newspapers and anchors, but there is so much more from photography, videography, web stories, opinion stories – there is so much that can be done, and I didn’t know any of that until the JOC program,” she said.
Alvarado graduated from Fresno State as the editor-in-chief of the student-run newspaper The Collegian after joining the team when she started at Fresno State in 2022. Before becoming EIC, she held the title of news editor for two years. She did this while actively pursuing her career aspirations to become a broadcast news anchor and has interned at three Fresno news stations.
In December of 2024, Alvarado began her first internship at KSEE 24/CBS 47 after attending a career fair and submitting her application shortly after.
“I was so nervous, but it wasn’t bad at all, and I got to meet a lot of reporters there. I ran the cameras for morning news segments and sometimes the teleprompter. I edited video stories and packages, and I just got to watch and shadow others’ reporting, so for me, it was great,” Alvarado said.
Later in June of 2025, Alvarado said she was scrolling on Instagram when one of her professors, who also worked at Fox 26, posted about an internship opportunity. She spent seven months with Fox, initially as a sports intern before transitioning to news.
Alvarado also just wrapped up her six-month internship with ABC 30 and said it is a dream come true, as she has been working toward that station since her sophomore year of college. She initially interviewed with Graciela Moreno, a local Emmy Award-winning journalist, and after that she learned she had been hired.
“I remember telling my dad, then calling my mom at work, and we cried together over the phone. It was such a huge accomplishment for me,” Alvarado said.
This summer, Alvarado will be moving to Los Angeles and interning with The Los Angeles Times. She plans to continue sending her reels to stations across California and beyond to see if she can land a job in broadcast. Alvarado hopes to be hired in California, preferably in Fresno, but knows that may be difficult.
“It is very rare for reporters to get hired here in Fresno straight out of college because of the market. It’s a competitive market, but my goal is still to be hired here,” Alvarado said.
Alvarado said she credits all her hard work and achievements to her parents, emphasizing how she could not have done any of it without them.
“My dad sacrificed everything for me to be where I am right now, so everything I do is for them, everything is for my parents,” she said.
But as she prepares to graduate and leave the JOC program behind, Alvarado also reflected on the connections she has made during her time with yli, including two program leads who served as her mentors.
“Daniel [Gonzalez] and Johnsen [Del Rosario] are some of the most amazing people I’ve met, and I know they’re always going to be there for me, even when I leave the program. I know if I need anything personal or professional, they will both help me. I think that is what I’m most proud of,” Alvarado said.
