Meet Jenna Ramiscal, one of Daylight’s summer interns
Introduce yourself.
Hi, I’m Jenna Ramiscal (she/her)! I’m a Filipino American journalist, born and raised in San Diego. I’m currently entering my senior year at San Diego State University where I’m double majoring in journalism and Asian American studies.
Why did you become a journalist?
Journalism combines two of my passions: writing and community.
Since middle school, I have always loved storytelling — I studied creative writing for nearly six years at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. In my freshman year of high school, I had the opportunity to take my first journalism class, and that’s when I found that newsrooms are the epicenter for storytelling.
I became attracted to the journalistic environment that pushed me to break out of my comfort zone. Foregoing my introverted personality to get interviews and trying to create my best pieces of work under pressing deadlines was a challenge — but I was willing to take that on if it meant I could use my writing to craft stories about real issues, real people, real events, etc.
Since selecting journalism as my major in college, my love for it has only continued to grow and I’m excited to continue to write about the community.
Daylight San Diego
What type of journalism do you like to cover? What topics?
As an early-career journalist, I am still exploring my options. However, I often find myself gravitating towards reporting on topics that are related to the Filipino and Asian American communities. I often find that my personal lived experiences and knowledge gained from studying Asian American studies inspire the stories I choose to pursue. I also have an interest in continuing to do local coverage and writing more investigative/watchdog journalism pieces.
Who’s your favorite musical artist?
It’s hard for me to choose one. I typically listen to pop music, so a few of my favorites are: Olivia Rodrigo, Olivia Dean, Kelly Clarkson, BTS, Taylor Swift, Grentperez, NIKI and the soundtracks of early 2000s Disney and Nickelodeon shows/movies.
What TV shows or movies are on your mind at the moment?
If you know me, you know that one of my favorite movies is “Shattered Glass.” I watched it in my high school journalism class and it is honestly one of the things that sparked my interest in journalism — the process and all the ethics and morals that come along with it.
What hobbies do you have?
I keep a junk journal — so I love collecting scraps like receipts, stickers, wrappers and more to document memories. I also enjoy carrying around a disposable camera and camcorder to capture my hangouts with friends and family. Beyond that, I usually spend my free time cafe hopping with my friends and collecting blind box series, like Mofusand and Nyota.
What does living in San Diego mean to you?
Everything, this is my home! I’ve grown up here and absolutely love it. I think that it is so special that I get to tell stories about the community I was raised in. I find myself learning even more about San Diego as I report on the different events and communities that are here.
If you weren’t a journalist, what would you be doing instead?
To be honest, I’m not sure — but I think it would still have something to do with writing.
If you could interview any person, living or dead, who would it be and why?
I would love to interview my grandparents. There’s so much I want to learn about their personal experiences and life.
Do you have a favorite journalist or writer who inspires you?
There’s honestly too many to name! I love following the work of the local reporters here in San Diego — whether they have years of experience or if they're college journalists alongside me in my classes.
What’s the most unexpected or bizarre story you’ve ever covered?
While I was interning at Voice of San Diego, I wrote an article about how the North County Transit District was struggling to pay to fuel its hydrogen buses. Before writing the story, I didn’t even know hydrogen buses existed and that we had them in San Diego.
It was interesting to speak to different experts and scientists to learn about the technical processes that go on inside the buses. I also learned tons about hydrogen: why it’s expensive and tricky to transport.
I’m usually not a “science person” but reporting on that topic definitely made me more interested in environmental reporting.
If you could write a headline for your life right now, what would it be?
Just a girl navigating her 20s
