2022-2023 2nd Semester Staff
editor-in-chief
(he/him)
Tony Rodriguez is a fourth-year journalism major in his second semester as editor-in-chief of The State Hornet. Rodriguez has spent four semesters with the publication and has served in editorial positions with The State Hornet and on his community college publication, The Express. He hopes to continue his education after graduating from Sacramento State and pursue a Master of Arts in Journ...
managing editor
(she/her)
Dominique Williams is a fourth-year journalism major in her fourth semester at The State Hornet. She also covers breaking news at The Sacramento Bee and serves as a bartender at her hometown dive bar. Dominique loves sports photography, sour gummy worms and serving hot takes in the newsroom.
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managing editor
(he/him)
Jordan Latimore joined the State Hornet in the spring of 2019 as a staff writer and is now a managing editor after previously serving as a staffer and editor for the sports section for six semesters. Before joining The State Hornet he wrote for his school paper, The Bruin Voice, where he had a sports column. Jordan is majoring in journalism and aspires to cover professional sports in the future....
copy editor
(he/him)
Johnathan Rutz joined The State Hornet in fall 2022 as the deputy copy editor after working as a copy editor for Roundhouse News and Review, a student publication through Sierra Community College. This will be his fourth year in higher education, pursuing a degree in journalism and a minor in economics, and he plans to graduate in the spring of 2024.
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copy editor
(he/him)
Casey Rafter joined The State Hornet in spring 2022 as a newswriter. As of fall 2022, he is the website’s copy editor. He also writes for Sacramento News & Review and has experience as a writer, editor-in-chief and student adviser for The Express at Sac City College.
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news editor
(she/her)
Emma is the news editor for The State Hornet. Previously she was the inaugural diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) editor and newsletter editor. She also led The Inquirer at Diablo Valley College and has worked with The Advocate at Contra Costa College, and The CalMatters College Journalism Network. Alongside the Hornet, Emma serves as NPR's Diverse Sources intern.
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DEI editor
(she/her)
Elizabeth Meza is a fourth-year political science and journalism major. This is her second semester at The State Hornet and now serves as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Editor for the spring semester 2023. She is from Los Angeles but has enjoyed her time in Sacramento.
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sports editor
(he/him)
Jack Freeman joined The State Hornet in spring 2022 as a staff writer. He now works as the co-sports editor and resident Kellen Moore fan. He is currently a sophomore majoring in journalism.
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sports editor
(he/him)
Dylan McNeill is a senior working on his second semester as a sports editor at The State Hornet. Previously with The Hornet Dylan has worked as an arts and entertainment staffer as well as the baseball beat writer. McNeill is from Humboldt County, California.
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arts & entertainment editor
(she/her)
Fourth-year journalism major, Jenelle Lum returns as the spring '23 arts and entertainment editor. She enjoys covering live music and shows, movies and all things Disney. She served in editorial positions at The State Hornet and The Express at Sacramento City College.
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podcast editor
(he/him)
James Fife is the podcast editor for the State Hornet. A film major with a knack for audio editing, James is the person behind the scenes making sure the State Hornet podcast sounds top-notch. When he's not busy in the editing suite, he spends most of his free time watching the latest films and indulging in PC gaming.
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multimedia editor
(he/they)
Kris continues as multimedia editor of The State Hornet for his second semester. Kris is also a former opinion editor of The State Hornet, and of Fresno City College's Rampage. Kris is a political science and journalism major and expects to graduate in fall 2023.
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public relations, marketing & advertising editor
(she/her)
Patricia Ricarte is entering her second semester at The State Hornet and final semester at Sacramento State. She is a communications major and is excited to pursue brand marketing and strategy in the fashion and beauty industry. Patricia is currently working in influencer relations for AS Creative Agency. She hopes to grow The State Hornet's presence on campus.
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social media editor
(she/they)
Julie Blunt is working as the social media editor for their second semester at The State Hornet. They are also the author of a weekly column, "Diary of a Bookworm" and co-hosts an LGBTQ+ podcast called "Shamelessly Relevant" with co-editor Elena Burge. In the future, they hope to work for a publishing company as a part of an editorial team or to travel as a freelance journalist.
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social media editor
(she/they)
Elena Burge is entering their third semester at the State Hornet and their second semester as the social media editor. Raised in San Diego, they came to Sacramento State to study public relations. Outside their position at the Hornet, they have professional experience in sales, marketing and graphic design. Elena co-hosts an LGBTQ+ podcast called "Shamelessly Relevant" with fellow editor Ju...
visuals editor
(he/him)
Jacob Peterson is in his second semester with the Hornet and his first as visuals editor. In the past, he's served as part of the news staff for the Hornet and worked as a writer and editor for the Cosumnes River College paper, The Connection.
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Spanish editor
(she/her)
San Diego native Mercy Sosa returns in spring 2023 as the Spanish editor at The State Hornet. She is a fourth-year student who joined The Hornet in spring 2020 as a politics beat writer; she later served as news and digital editor. Sosa has freelanced for Sacramento Business Journal, Solving Sacramento and Univision.
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digital editor
(he/him)
Chris Woodard joined The State Hornet in 2022 as a third-year transfer student. He previously worked as the editor-in-chief of Cosumnes River College’s publication, The Connection. He is a Sacramento native, covering arts and entertainment.
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newsletter editor
(he/him)
Gavin Hudson holds high aspirations to be a film critic. Writing about film gives him purpose and passion for the future. He is currently pursuing a bachelor's in journalism while working for assorted publications like IGN and Solving Sacramento.
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adviser
(he/him)
Faculty Adviser Fernando Gallo is a versatile multimedia journalist with 15 years of experience across multiple platforms and a proud alumnus of both Sacramento State and The State Hornet (Class of 2008). Fernando has filed stories for San Francisco Chronicle, The Sacramento Bee, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, Associated Press and Capital Public Radio, and worked as a daily crime reporter fo...
news reporter
(she/her)
Peyton Sorosinski is a senior English major and journalism minor graduating in spring 2023. She joined the State Hornet for the spring 2023 semester and looks forward to developing a career in law and journalism.
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news reporter
(she/her)
Tobi Fakunle is a third-year communications major and a journalism minor. She hopes to be a traveling investigative reporter in the future. She enjoys baking and volunteering in her free time.
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news reporter
(he/him)
Anthony Dehzad is a fourth-year communications student. This is his first semester at The State Hornet. He previously went to Napa Valley College before transferring to Sacramento State. He hopes to have a career in sports journalism.
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news reporter
(he/him)
Will Duvall is a fourth-year journalism major. He joined The State Hornet in fall 2022. Duvall aspires to write and document about different cultures worldwide after graduation.
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news reporter
(she/her)
Tierra Tilby, a graduating political science and journalism student, is serving her second semester at The State Hornet. She works in the news section and contributes to other sections. After graduating, she hopes to get a job writing for broadcasts in her home area of Sacramento with future aspirations to work in a communication office for public officials.
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news reporter
(she/her)
Justine Chahal is a staff writer who joined The State Hornet in fall 2022. She is a fourth-year journalism major who transferred from San Joaquin Delta College.
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DEI reporter
(she/her)
Jasleen joined the state hornet this spring as a staff writer for the diversity, equity and inclusion section. She is a fourth-year university student who is looking forward to developing a career related to investigative journalism .
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DEI reporter
(she/they)
Ruth Finch is a transfer student from Bakersfield College. There, she majored in studio arts and received a certificate in photography. She’s a queer musician, film photographer, and writer.
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DEI reporter
(he/him)
Eric joined the State Hornet in 2023. He is a Sac City transfer and a former staff writer for the Sac City Express.
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DEI reporter
(she/her)
Jourdan Jackson is a third-year journalism student, joining the State Hornet for the first time during the spring 2023 semester. She is passionate about encouraging discourse on social justice and looks forward to highlighting the perspectives of marginalized communities. Jourdan hopes to use her platform at the State Hornet to provide a voice to those who have been told their stories don...
DEI reporter
(she/her)
Jasmine Ascencio is a first-generation Latina-American college student that joined the State Hornet in Spring 2023. Passionate about storytelling, she loves to find ways to tell stories that engage and advocate for social change. When she isn't working on a story, she is probably watching true-crime documentaries.
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arts & entertainment reporter
(he/him)
Ryan Ascalon joined The State Hornet in 2023. He is a Communications major with aspirations of becoming a cinematographer.
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arts & entertainment reporter
(she/her)
Esmeralda Navarro, a Bay Area native, is a fourth-year public relations and business student. She enjoys topics such as music, art, fashion and beauty. She is passionate about journalism's ability to bring light to the world's most fascinating stories that are often overlooked. She has contributed to her high school's publication Off the Leash in the past and is eager to begin her first...
arts & entertainment reporter
(she/her)
Sonia Pagán joined the State Hornet during her third year as a junior transfer student. She is very excited to be joining as this is her first time writing for a publication.
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arts & entertainment reporter
(she/her)
Hailey Valdivia joined The State Hornet in fall 2022, she is currently an arts and entertainment staffer. She is a third-year student who hopes to pursue a career in journalism.
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arts & entertainment reporter
(she/her)
Madelaine Church joined the State Hornet in the spring semester of 2021 as a multimedia staffer during her first year of college. She took three semesters off and is now back! She is a journalism major in her third year of college. Madelaine specializes and hopes to pursue a career in photography, media and social media.
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sports reporter
(he/him)
Nate Cromwell is a third-year transfer student from Folsom Lake College. He joined the State Hornet in spring 2023 as a sports journalist. He looks forward to playing a role in the publication and growing his passion for writing.
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sports reporter
(he/him)
Born in Natrona Heights, PA, Nathan Smith grew up in Sacramento, CA. He is currently in his first semester at the State Hornet. Nathan is covering men's basketball for State Hornet sports.
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sports reporter
(she/her)
Arely Duran is a first-year Journalism major from the central coast. She joined the State Hornet in the fall of 2022 and it is her second semester. In the future, she hopes to become a sports news writer or reporter for either football or soccer.
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sports reporter
(she/her)
Myla Booth was born and raised in Oakland, CA. She is a fourth-year political science & journalism major. This is her second semester on the State Hornet covering sports. She focused on being the volleyball beat writer in fall 2022. She hopes to one day become a sports journalist and reporter.
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sports reporter
(he/him)
Isaac Streeter is a senior political science and journalism student and this is his second semester with The State Hornet covering sports. Outside of The State Hornet, Streeter has been published in the Woodland Daily Democrat as well as the Sacramento News & Review. After graduating he hopes to work in professional baseball.
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sports reporter
(he/him)
Hugo Quintanilla joined the State Hornet in spring 2022, and now covers sports for the State Hornet. He moved from Los Angeles to Sacramento in the summer of 2021. He hopes to cover football/soccer in Europe in the future.
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PRMA reporter
(she/her)
Esperanza Gonzalez is earning her communications degree with a focus in public relations and a minor in marketing. Esperanza specializes in social media strategy, entertainment marketing, creative development and is a content creator for her own brand @11espi. Before joining the State Hornet she did social media and marketing for Sac State Student Affairs, Sac State Athletics, podcast ho...
PRMA reporter
(she/her)
Fatima Abed is a senior majoring in communication and public relations who is graduating in May 2023. Previously, she worked as a freelance photographer and content manager. It’s her first time joining a publication and excited to work with the public relations and social media section.
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PRMA reporter
(he/him)
Gerson Geraldo is a fourth-year journalism major and is currently a PRMA staffer at the State Hornet. Being born and raised in Brazil, Gerson has always been interested in working with sports and plans to work as a sports journalist, covering soccer in the U.S., in Brazil, or in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
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PRMA reporter
(she/her)
Serena Smith is a third-year journalism student at Sacramento State University and joined the State Hornet in Spring 2023. She works as a Public Affairs Specialist for the California Air National Guard at the 129th Rescue Wing, Moffett Field in Mountain View and previously graduated from the Defense Information School on Fort Meade, Maryland in the Fall of 2021. This semester, she will be a wor...
Spanish reporter
(she/her)
Angelica Vera-Franco is a third-year journalism and political science student. She joined The State Hornet in spring 2023 as a staff writer for the Spanish section. She looks forward to furthering her experience and working towards a career as a journalist.
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Spanish reporter
(she/her)
Alexia Barajas is a third-year journalism major and joined the State Hornet in spring 2023. She is excited to help bring more diversity to the Hornet by working in the Spanish section this semester.
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Spanish reporter
(she/her)
Nancy Rodriguez grew up in Santa Ana, California. She joined the State Hornet in fall 2022 and is excited to amplify the Hispanic/Latinx voice at the State Hornet.
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Spanish reporter
(he/him)
Alexis Pedroza transferred from Bakersfield College.This is his second semester at The State Hornet and his experience includes being a student reporter that writes, speaks and translates in English and Spanish.
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podcast staffer
(he/him)
Feyi Ekundare joined The State Hornet in the spring of 2022 as a podcast staffer. He is currently a senior majoring in journalism. Feyi's goal is to have a podcast where people of all perspectives are welcome to discuss political and cultural issues, alongside their personal views and experiences.
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podcast staffer
(he/him)
Latravion Jones is a third-year journalism student from Victorville, Ca. This is his first semester with the Hornet as a staffer for the podcast section. Latravion is also a huge movie and sports fan; Go Ravens!
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podcast staffer
(he/him)
Neill Little a recent transfer to The Hornet from SCC. He is a political science/journalism major. Food and sports are his biggest passions.
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podcast staffer
(she/her)
Aile is 23 years old and is pursuing journalism in hopes of working for a publication called Vice. She is super passionate about the unusual and hopes to introduce audiences to topics either unseen or unheard of. Her current goal is to establish her podcast while learning the ins and outs of journalism.
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podcast staffer
(he/him)
Lawrence Charles has been a part of The State Hornet’s podcast section since fall 2022 and was named the Best Podcast Staffer of the semester. He is a communication studies major with a minor in journalism. He is the current Station Manager of KSSU, Sacramento State's student-run radio station, where he produces his weekly show, Just “Hour” Thoughts, which won the award for Best Fr...
multimedia reporter
(she/her)
Lauren Reagan joined the State Hornet in 2023, and this is her first time writing for a publication. She is a third-year journalism major and is looking forward to diving deeper into the field. She is passionate about broadcasting and news reporting and is excited for what's to come.
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multimedia reporter
(he/him)
Fernando Navarrete studies journalism at Sac State. He is currently working with the visuals team at The State Hornet.
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multimedia reporter
(he/him)
Michael Pacheco joined the State Hornet in fall 2020 as an investigative news reporter. Over the years he has written articles and shot photos for many different sections, including sports, art, music and video games. He is set to graduate in spring 2023.
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multimedia reporter
(he/him)
Erick Salgado Garcia is entering his fifth semester at The State Hornet and his final semester at Sacramento State. He is a journalism major with a minor in film studies. Erick is from the Bay Area and hopes to help out local communities and direct a documentary.
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visual reporter
(he/him)
Lucas Monteros joined the State Hornet in spring 2023 as a portrait/sports photographer. With only a year or two of experience in photography, he wants to use the State Hornet as a chance to improve his storytelling skills.
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visual reporter
(he/him)
Cristian Gonzalez is a visuals staffer for The State Hornet. He is a political science and journalism major and has collected AAs in hospitality management, math, and physical sciences on his way to Sac State. He is interested in incorporating his love for local music, art and food into his work.
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visual reporter
(she/her)
Alyssa Branum is in her second semester working for The State Hornet and her third semester working for a publication. As a senior journalism major at Sac State, Branum looks forward to utilizing creative outlets, working towards her photojournalism career in visuals and connecting with others.
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social media staffer
(she/her)
Alesha Blaauw is a fourth-year journalism student. This is her first semester at the State Hornet working as a part of the social media team. Her interests range from music, art, fashion, content creating and covering local events. She seeks to capture the true essence of Sac State and its student body.
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social media staffer
(she/her)
Amaya Segundo is a fourth-year journalism student working as part of the Social Media team. This is her first semester working for the Hornet and she's excited for the new experiences it'll bring. Her passion is people and she hopes to express that through her work.
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social media staffer
(she/her)
Christina Mendez is a third-year journalism student and joined The State Hornet in fall 2022 as a multimedia staffer. She is excited to continue working towards her goals in broadcast media.
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social media staffer (sports)
(she/her)
Siany Harts is joining the State Hornet sports staff to further develop its social media presence. She is a communications major with a minor in journalism and this is her first semester with the State Hornet. She hopes to pursue a future career as a sideline reporter for college and professional sports.
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