30 UNDER 30

Jordan Triebel graduated from Cal Poly in Spring 2024 with a concentration in News. She works at NBCUniversal as an Executive Assistant and Program Coordinator, supporting the Senior Executive Producer for Dateline and NBC News Studios. Jordan manages logistics, production schedules, and social media for NBC’s documentary team. Before joining NBCUniversal, she freelanced for KRCB, covering major school closures in Sonoma County. Now based in New York City, she continues to pursue her passion for storytelling and news production.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-triebel/

Zach Berston graduated from Cal Poly in 2025 with a concentration in Media Innovation, among the first to complete the new program. After graduation, he spent the summer traveling across California before settling in San Francisco, where he briefly worked as a bartender in local theaters. Zach now serves as the first Studio Operations Coordinator at Where The Buffalo Roam, a commercial video production company creating content for major clients such as Google, OpenAI, Coinbase, Nike, and the United Nations. In this multifaceted role, he supports on-set production, talent onboarding, and studio management—gaining a comprehensive understanding of the creative production process. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-berston

Leah Pezzetti graduated from Cal Poly in 2017 with a degree in Journalism and a concentration in Broadcast. She is an Emmy-winning meteorologist and storyteller at KING 5 in Seattle, where she brings weather and environmental coverage to life. After earning her M.S. in Meteorology from Mississippi State University, she built her career at KERO in Bakersfield, KTNV in Las Vegas, and KGTV in San Diego. At KING 5, Leah helped launch Environment Northwest and created The Sky Above, a monthly astronomy show. Passionate about inspiring future scientists, she recently published She Dreamed, So She Did, the first in a children’s series highlighting women in STEM and other male-dominated fields.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-pezzetti

Maddie Gorsage graduated from Cal Poly in March 2025 with a concentration in Public Relations. She recently joined Kinomatic, a company specializing in custom surgical planning for knee and hip replacements. Maddie works directly with patients throughout their pre- and post-operative journeys and helps lead the launch of Kinomatic’s social media presence, highlighting real patient experiences. Combining her communication background with a passion for health and storytelling, she helps connect advanced medical technology with the people it serves.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/madison-gorsage/

Nate Mills graduated from Cal Poly in June 2024 with a degree in Journalism and a concentration in Sports and News. He is now  sports reporter at WGRZ in Buffalo covering the Buffalos Bills, Sabres and Bandits as well as university of Buffalo and local high school sports.

www.linkedin.com/in/nate-mills-sports-broadcaster

Sarah Kate McElroy graduated from Cal Poly in 2024 with a concentration in Public Relations. She now works at Abbott Laboratories in the Diabetes Care division as a Social Media Marketing Communications Specialist. Sarah Kate manages the global @FreeStyleDiabetes social media channels, leading content creation, testing, and community engagement. Her role blends creativity and compliance to ensure campaigns resonate with patients worldwide, reflecting her passion for using communication to make healthcare more personal and accessible.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahkatemcelroy/

Emily Tobiason graduated from Cal Poly in 2024 with a concentration in News. She lives in San Francisco and works as an Account Associate at Highwire, a PR agency specializing in technology and cybersecurity companies. She started as an intern and began her full-time position in March. Her day-to-day involves building relationships with media, securing client coverage, and supporting administrative tasks.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-tobiason

Michelle Logan-Schmidt graduated from Cal Poly with a concentration in News. She is a dynamic producer and on-air host with a passion for telling feel-good stories that uplift, inspire, and spark joy. Michelle is the co-creator of Actually History, a digital series spotlighting the women who shaped our world but didn’t get proper recognition. Before moving into digital media, she worked on the morning news teams at CBS 42 in Birmingham, Alabama, and WUSA9 in Washington, D.C.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellelogantv/ 

Michael Hernandez graduated from Cal Poly in 2025 with a degree in Journalism and a concentration in Public Relations. He currently serves as the Public Relations Coordinator for 559 Fights.  In addition to his role with 559 Fights, Michael runs his own MMA media company, MLH Media. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhernandez

Caroline Roistchester graduated from Cal Poly in 2024 with a degree in Journalism and a concentration in Public Relations, along with a minor in Law and Society. She is now a first-year law student at the University of San Diego, exploring an interest in criminal litigation. Before law school, Caroline worked as a Development Associate at UC San Diego, supporting donor relations for the School of Biological Sciences. Her background in communication and development continues to shape her interest in advocacy and public service.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-roistacher/

Jessa Rosenthal graduated from Cal Poly in 2024 with a degree in Journalism, concentrating in Public Relations and minoring in MAST and Science Communication. After graduation, she joined the Capital Fellows Program in Sacramento, working in the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) within Crisis Communications and Public Affairs. There, she supported statewide messaging during major disasters, including the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Jessa now lives in San Diego and works at Nuffer, Smith, Tucker—the city’s oldest PR firm—where she supports a range of accounts, including government agencies.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessa-rosenthal

Jack Hildebrand graduated from Cal Poly in Spring 2024 with a degree in Journalism and a concentration in Broadcast News. While at Cal Poly, he discovered a passion for nonfiction storytelling in sports and the arts. He is now in his final year of the documentary filmmaking program at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, where he is producing a 20–25 minute boxing documentary and working as producer and editor for “Inside Cal Football,” a weekly show on NBC Bay Area and YouTube.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-hildebrand/

Mackenzie Ryseff graduated from Cal Poly in June 2024 with a degree in Journalism and a concentration in Public Relations, along with a minor in Entrepreneurship. She began her career at Honey Health, a health technology startup that uses AI to automate back-office workflows for clinicians and healthcare organizations. Now a Healthcare AI Consultant, Mackenzie works directly with clinicians and healthcare leaders to implement AI solutions that improve efficiency, enhance patient care, and strengthen healthcare operations.

www.linkedin.com/in/mackenzieryseff

Ammar Khan graduated from Cal Poly in 2020 with a degree in Journalism and a concentration in Broadcast Journalism. He currently works as a Sales Developer at Demandbase, a San Francisco–based tech company that helps digital marketing and sales teams target and track the right accounts using intent data and AI tools. Ammar credits his journalism background—especially his writing, communication, and relationship-building skills—as key assets that have supported his transition into tech sales.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ammar-khan

Mark Robinson graduated from Cal Poly in June 2025 with a concentration in Media Innovation & Entrepreneurship. He works in sports journalism with Denver-based Guerilla Sports, covering professional teams across Colorado. Mark also serves as the lead broadcaster and podcast host for a junior hockey team in Wisconsin and freelances as a play-by-play announcer. Passionate about storytelling and sports media, he continues to build his career as a versatile broadcaster and content creator.

social media: @markrobinsonsports (Instagram/TikTok) and @mwrsports_ (X).

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrobinson

Cayley O’Brien is a Venue Operations Coordinator at BSide, an artist-centric live events company at the intersection of music and technology. She manages concert logistics — including venue advancing, ticketing, production, and on-site support — to ensure seamless live experiences. Cayley oversees operations across multiple tours for artists such as GoldFord, Spencer Sutherland, and James Blake, coordinating each stop to help artists, teams, and venues deliver unforgettable shows for fans.

Eden Funk graduated from Cal Poly in 2024 with a B.S. in Journalism on the Public Relations track. She is an Assistant Account Executive at a technology public relations agency, supporting clients across industries including technology consulting, artificial intelligence, workforce management, telecommunications, and aerospace. Passionate about strategic communication and storytelling, Eden helps develop impactful media relations and messaging for innovative brands.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eden-funk/

Sergio Romero graduated from Cal Poly in June 2025 with a B.A. in Journalism, concentrating in News. After graduation, he returned to his hometown of Fresno, California, where he’s interning with 1430 ESPN Fresno Radio and contributing as an NFL writer for Pro Football Sports Network. These opportunities have allowed him to build experience in sports journalism while continuing to develop his reporting and storytelling skills as he pursues full-time work in the industry.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergio-romero559

Sam Kohn graduated from Cal Poly in Winter 2025 and recently accepted a position as a Digital Producer with the Chattanooga Times Free Press. In this role, he’s helping expand the paper’s audio and video journalism across Eastern Tennessee and surrounding regions. Before starting in Chattanooga, Sam worked on a documentary project and did freelance podcast production in Los Angeles, further refining his skills in multimedia storytelling.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-kohn-71665a20a

Matthew Ho graduated from Cal Poly in June 2025 with a B.S. in Journalism. He now works at The Athletic as a Staff Editor, covering college sports. During his time at Cal Poly, Matthew gained extensive newsroom experience as Managing Editor of Mustang News and as a reporter for the San Luis Obispo Tribune. His background reflects a strong commitment to high-quality sports and collegiate journalism.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-ho-b726a0165/

Naomi Vanderlip graduated from Cal Poly in Spring 2024 with majors in English and Journalism (News Concentration) and minors in Spanish and Linguistics, along with a TESOL certificate. After graduation, she moved to New York City to intern with Good Morning America on the booking team, supporting guest booking, story pitching, field shoots, and segment production. She later joined Forbes as a breaking news video producer, creating political content for its YouTube channel. In Summer 2025, Naomi returned to Good Morning America full-time as an associate segment producer for booking.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-vanderlip/

Hailey Evans graduated from Cal Poly in June 2025 with a degree in Journalism, concentrating in Public Relations and minoring in Agricultural Communications. She is now pursuing a master’s in Public Relations and Advertising at the University of Southern California, where she plans to focus on social media strategy and video production. Hailey aims to work in food PR or digital communications, using media to educate audiences, build trust, and strengthen connections between people and the food they enjoy.

http://linkedin.com/in/hailey-evans-7a33a5268
 

Nick Bandanza graduated in 2021 with a concentration in Public Relations. He is now a litigation clerk at Berliner Cohen, LLP in San Jose, where he works in employment and civil litigation. As he prepares to attend law school next fall, Nick is balancing LSAT studying with hands-on legal experience that is helping him build a strong foundation for his future career.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nichoalsbandanza-a80451185/

Skylar Novak graduated from Cal Poly in Spring 2025 with a degree in Journalism, concentrating in Public Relations, and minoring in MAST and Entrepreneurship. She now works as a Marketing Coordinator at SoFi Stadium & Hollywood Park, collaborating with the Social Media, Brand, Creative, and Entertainment Marketing teams to promote upcoming events and strengthen fan engagement. Skylar also supports event-day operations across SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater, and Hollywood Park, giving her hands-on experience in bringing major live events to life.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/skylar-novak

Layla Shuman graduated in 2025 with a concentration in public relations. After graduation, she moved to Chicago and is currently looking to start her career in news.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/layla-shuman-496888255

Send us your updates! Alumni are a vital part of the Cal Poly Journalism family, and the department continues to celebrate their successes long after graduation. Let us highlight your story! 

→ email jour@calpoly.edu to update your bio or be featured!