From living on the border to reporting on it: How Ana Ceballos launched her career as a journalist

Growing up in Tijuana, Mexico, JMS alumna Ana Ceballos (‘14) relied on the news to feel more at ease with the violence in her hometown. Staying informed empowered her, and her curiosity and awareness eventually became her passion. Today, as a policy and government reporter for the Miami Herald, she credits JMS and The Daily Aztec for giving her the experience she needed to launch her career.

“I grew up with a lot of awareness of what was going on in the city,” Ceballos said. Surrounded by a tumultuous environment, she constantly sought out the news to stay informed, trying to absorb as much information as possible. After graduating high school, she eagerly pursued a journalism degree at SDSU.

One of her first steps at SDSU was joining The Daily Aztec. She believes that decision set her on the path to success. She progressed from not knowing how to write a news article to becoming a staff writer, then assistant news editor and eventually managing editor of the paper.

After graduating from SDSU, Ceballos interned at a small local newspaper in Monterey where she covered general assignment courts. She then pursued her interest in immigration as a freelance border reporter. However, she solidified her beat when she moved to Tallahassee, Fla., to cover state government for the Associated Press.

“When I came here (to Tallahassee), it was with the idea of, ‘I'll just learn how to cover state government,’ which is a different beast of reporting – and I loved it,” Ceballos said. 

Now, she has spent five years as a reporter at the Miami Herald.

“My day is pretty much waking up, heading to the Capitol, going to meetings, listening to interviews, grabbing lawmakers in the hallway, finding some time to eat, transcribing, multitasking,” Ceballos explained. “It's a lot of just unpredictable scheduling.” 

When asked what advice she has for students worried about finding jobs after graduation, she emphasized gaining as much experience as possible. She credits submitting numerous applications, saying yes to every opportunity and using her Daily Aztec clips to build her portfolio as key steps in her journey.

“At the end of the day, I think journalism is about informing people,” Ceballos said. “It's not about name brands. In general, it shouldn't be above us to do local reporting and people need that information”

She concluded: “Writing really is a muscle that comes with time, and you need to exercise that muscle to be able to produce good stories and ultimately make sure that the message is being conveyed to people who are out in the community.”