Jose Herrera, a first-generation American and former Pearl Post sports editor, found a way to break out of his shyness: journalism. 

“I’ve always wanted to be a storyteller and saw journalism as my way to do that,” Herrera said. 

On Feb. 24, Herrera returned to Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS), the school he graduated from in 2015. He walked into Room 22, the same classroom he used to sit in and talked to the current photography students about his path to a career in journalism.  

Herrera went to a private school in Illinois called Bradley University where he stayed for a semester. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for him. The school was too expensive for his parents to afford so he ended up going to Los Angeles Pierce College. He attended Pierce for two and a half years and was on the staff of the school’s publication The Roundup. During this time, he saved up enough money to go to California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, California, where he graduated in 2019.

“My reporting, my interviewing skills, my writing skills, they’ve all improved,” Herrera said. 

After graduation from college, he had a difficult time finding a reporting job, which made Herrera feel lost and hopeless. But he never stopped moving toward his goals and explained that there is always someone waiting to appreciate hard work. 

Herrera found a job as a reporter at The Signal, located in Santa Clarita. At The Signal, Herrera expanded his social skills by writing about community events while also covering various topics. His favorite was covering education, where he met students, parents and district officials and learned what it was like to run a school. He also got to write about food and finances, which were certain things he never thought he would consider.

Despite facing financial difficulties, leaving university and facing setbacks before finding a job in reporting,  Herrera has risen above the trials and tribulations of life to find a career in journalism. He is now starting a new job at City News Service LA, where he will cover politics and five local districts. 

“As you can kind of see, it’s been a wild ride and just an experience altogether,” Herrera said.

Kamila De Leon contributed to this story.