The School of Journalism and Media Studies Announces 2026 Outstanding Students

The School of Journalism and Media Studies emphasizes the importance of storytelling and reporting the truth in our world. Whether that be through investigative journalism, feature stories, digital, print, or television, the students of JMS are dedicated to telling the stories that matter to communities and shedding light on underrepresented voices.

Calista Stocker: Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Journalism and for the School of Journalism and Media Studies

“I hope that our graduating class is able to give themselves some grace in the job search process…Don't dwell on the ‘should haves’ and instead focus on the ‘will do’s,’” says Calista Stocker, outstanding undergraduate in journalism and the outstanding student for the School of Journalism and Media Studies.

Stocker grew up in New Hampshire and said moving across the country, miles away from her family and friends, was extremely difficult at first. She wasn’t sure if SDSU was the place for her in the beginning.

However, she is incredibly grateful she stuck it out and allowed herself to grow into the journalist she is today.

Stocker served as the 2025-26 editor-in-chief for The Daily Aztec and the 25-26 president of both SDSU Society of Professional Journalists and Soundwave A Cappella.

She has interned at EdSource, The San Diego Sun, and Times of San Diego, which she credits as her most impactful internship experience.

After starting off writing smaller stories, Stocker’s editors eventually gave her the responsibility for investigative feature stories on public policy and the city's role in public infrastructure. This gave her hands-on experience conducting research and interviews alongside seasoned journalists.

“I hope to start my career in broadcast news and try out various roles in a broadcast newsroom, though my dream is to be a multimedia reporter,” Stocker said. “However, I see myself changing fields throughout my career, potentially working for various print and broadcast outlets and eventually heading back to school to become a journalism professor later in life.”

Stocker thanked Louis Weiner as the instructor who has had the biggest impact on her education. 

“The care, dedication and experience he brought to the class was unmatched and ultimately compelled me to switch my career aspirations to broadcast news,” Stocker said. “Even after retirement, Louis Weiner has supported my career endeavors and has been a go-to mentor for all my broadcast career questions and advice.”

Christine Apostol: Outstanding Graduate Student in Learning Design and Technology

“My career aspiration is to design and lead learning experiences that cultivate compassion and drive meaningful, equitable change,” says Christine Apostol, outstanding graduate student in learning design and technology. “San Diego State University strengthened my foundation in learning theory and equipped me with skills in research, marketing, training, project management, client-based work, and instructional design and learning technologies, allowing me to approach challenges with both strategic insight and practical execution.”

Apostol said that her research with Minjuan Wang focused on emerging technology in education and contributed to the development of an AI-focused graduate curriculum.

Her capstone was nonprofit-based and focused on developing instructional materials for justice-impacted youth and adults. In collaboration with a community partner, Apostol designed accessible and engaging resources intended to fit the diverse needs of different learners.

“My work centers on designing relevant, effective learning experiences that connect theory to practice and prepare learners for real-world contexts,” Apostol said.

Apostol said the mentorships of lecturer Dan McDowell and Instructional Designer Nava Amoona were instrumental in shaping her perspective.

“They demonstrated how empathetic design and strategic thinking can work in tandem, reinforcing my commitment to evidence-based practice,” Apostol said. “As someone deeply motivated by justice, I value grounding that passion in rigorous research and well-designed instruction. I believe that high-quality learning experiences can influence behavior, inspire compassion, and contribute to a more just and sustainable world.”

María José (MJ) Durán Gallego: Outstanding Graduate Student in Mass  Communication

“As a long-time journalist, I started the Mass Communication MA at SDSU to elevate my career to the next level. During my time in the program, I fell in love with college teaching and academic research,” said (MJ) Durán Gallego, outstanding graduate in mass communication.

Durán Gallego plans to continue teaching at the university level while expanding her journalistic freelancing work and said she wants to remain open to future research opportunities in the areas she is most passionate about. 

Her final project is about how research shows that the way the media informs about immigration has an effect on audiences.

“Through semi-structured, in-depth interviews, participants in this study described how the migrant caravans functioned as a critical incident for Spanish-Language local television, especially in stations near the U.S.-Mexico border, how newsroom practices were renegotiated, how framing included pro- and anti-immigration elements, and how they believed the images associated with caravan coverage contributed to increased anti-immigrant sentiment,” said Durán Gallego.