Outstanding Graduate: Amber Salas, School of Journalism and Media Studies

Amber Salas challenged herself to go after every opportunity that would be a stepping-stone toward a career in sports journalism. She began covering the sports section of The Daily Aztec, where she produced her own video packages for live broadcasts and developed on-camera skills as a reporter and anchor. Her most memorable experience was covering the men’s basketball team in the 2021 NCAA Basketball Tournament, and covering two Mountain West Conference Basketball Tournaments. Salas applied her skills off the Mesa as an intern for NBC 7 San Diego and FOX Sports.

“I firmly believe that my time at NBC 7 is what allowed me to become comfortable with editing and writing for TV,” said Salas. “The highlight of my experience was being sent out to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters for Super Tuesday to cover the event by myself. I interviewed voters, and recorded my own standup for my reel. My time at FOX Sports was also a special experience where I learned about the sports broadcasting industry, and gained skills that I hope to apply to future positions.”

Salas was a student athlete for the SDSU cheerleading team, showing that her love of sports surpassed the newsroom. She also received three scholarships while at SDSU: the SDSU Harold Keen Memorial Journalism Scholarship, the San Diego SPJ College Scholarship, and the Joe Lipper San Diego Press Club College Scholarship.

Salas kept up an impressive work ethic through the shift to virtual learning. Determined to continue forward, she created opportunities for herself while at home, and during the shift back to covering unique stories as SDSU athletes returned to their sports during an unusual COVID-19 season. This drive ultimately landed her the FOX Sports internship, and is one of the many reasons she is honored as an Outstanding Graduate.

“This experience really helped me learn to utilize whatever resources are around me to continue to learn and grow. No matter what may happen down the road in my career, I will always remember this experience and remember that I can overcome any challenge that is sent my way!”

The content within this article has been edited by Lizbeth Persons.