Meet Fall intern Emma Chen, aspiring journalist and coffee lover

Emma has attended more than 20 concerts and somehow still has a growing list of artists she wants to see live.

Written by Emma Chen, Edited by Kate Morrissey

Introduce yourself.

Hi! My name is Emma Chen (she/her), and I’m currently a student at UCSD . I’ve been involved in student journalism since high school, and what started as something I tried on a whim has become one of the things I enjoy most. I like meeting people I probably wouldn’t have crossed paths with otherwise, hearing about their experiences and finding ways to turn those conversations into stories that other people can connect with. 

Why did you become a journalist?

I actually discovered journalism somewhat accidentally in high school after a friend convinced me to join the school newspaper. I went in not really knowing what to expect. I quickly fell in love with the process, especially talking to people. Since then, journalism has become a way for me to stay curious and learn more about the world around me.

What type of journalism do you like to cover? What topics?

I’m especially interested in stories that center community perspectives and show how larger issues affect people in their everyday lives. At the same time, I’m still figuring out exactly what kind of journalism I want to pursue, so I don’t want to limit myself to one beat yet. I have enjoyed being able to try everything from campus and community stories to features and more serious news, and I think being open to unfamiliar topics is part of what makes journalism exciting. 

Who’s your favorite musical artist?

It is almost impossible for me to choose just one artist. Some of my favorites are Bruno Mars, 5 Seconds of Summer, Zara Larsson, Don Toliver and Dominic Fike. My music taste changes a lot depending on what I am doing or what mood I am in, so one day I’ll have Bruno Mars on repeat and the next I’ll be listening to The Neighbourhood for hours. 

What TV shows or movies are on your mind at the moment?

I have been watching a lot of “NCIS” and “The Rookie” lately. I love shows where you can get attached to the characters while still having a different storyline or case every episode.

For movies, “Ponyo” is always somewhere on my list because it’s one of those films that feels comforting and nostalgic no matter how many times I watch it. 

What hobbies do you have?

I love going to concerts, watching hockey games, exploring new places, and trying cafes whenever I have free time. I am the kind of person who will save a cafe I see online and then plan an entire afternoon around visiting it and walking around the neighborhood afterward. I also really enjoy traveling because I like having an excuse to try new food, explore different neighborhoods and see how people live somewhere completely different from what I am used to. I recently traveled to Tokyo, Japan, where I tried everything from ramen and sushi to takoyaki, matcha desserts and way too many convenience store snacks. 

What does living in San Diego mean to you?

Living in San Diego has been a big part of learning how to be independent. I came here from XYZ primarily for school, but over time I have started seeing the city as much more than just the place where UCSD happens to be. I like finding reasons to leave campus, whether that means trying a cafe in a neighborhood I have never visited, going somewhere along the coast, or just taking a drive and seeing where I end up. There are so many different communities within San Diego that I still feel like I am discovering something new all the time, which has made living here feel like an ongoing adventure. 

If you weren’t a journalist, what would you be doing instead?

I would probably be a lawyer. I have always liked looking at an issue from multiple angles, figuring out why people disagree and building an argument from the information available. I also think journalism and law share an emphasis on asking good questions and paying attention to details, so it makes sense to me that I am drawn to both. 

If you could interview any person, living or dead, who would it be and why?

I would probably interview George Washington. We learn about him so often as this almost symbolic figure in American history that I think it would be interesting to talk to him as an actual person. I would like to ask what he imagined the United States would look like 100 years later and whether he would recognize the government and political culture we have today. I am also curious about what he would change if he could see how some of the decisions made during the country’s founding ultimately played out. 

Do you have a favorite journalist or writer who inspires you?

Ida B. Wells is one journalist who really inspires me. I admire how she pursued stories that were both dangerous and deeply important, particularly her investigative reporting on lynching and racial violence. She wasn’t simply reporting information that was already widely accepted — she was gathering evidence and challenging narratives that powerful people wanted the public to believe. I think her work shows how journalism can give visibility to issues and communities that might otherwise be ignored, and it reminds me that reporting can have a purpose beyond simply telling people what happened.

What’s the most unexpected or bizarre story you’ve ever covered?

One of the most unexpected stories I’ve covered was about tickets for UCSD’s 2026 Sun God Festival selling out extremely quickly. At first, it seemed like it would just be a short campus story about students being frustrated that they couldn’t get tickets, but the more we reported, the more complicated it became. There were complaints about tickets becoming available earlier than expected, confusion over the website and students relying on social media to figure out what was happening. My co-writer and I surveyed around 80 students, and I remember being surprised by how strongly people felt about it. It was one of those stories that showed me how something that seems relatively small can become a much bigger conversation once you start talking to people.

If you could write a headline for your life right now, what would it be?

College student juggles deadlines, bylines and whatever comes next