Ask the Alumnus | Gabriel Gamino

Gabriel Gamino was an original SRL All-Star. Since then, he’s worked as an anchor and reporter for Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS, and recently graduated from the the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.  This summer he will be working as a Cronkite Summer Leader at the school’s high school summer journalism program, having the unique opportunity as an alumni of that program to give back to the community of future journalists. Gabriel looks back on his SRL experience as highly valuable, helping to identify the raw passion he has for the journalism industry.

What experiences or lessons do you value most from your time with SRL?

There are lots of experiences and lessons that I value from my time with SRL, however, I must say that reporting national news from my high school’s angle was the most challenging yet rewarding experience. It allowed me to grow as a young journalist and provided me with scenarios that many don’t encounter until they get to college. Which gave me a head start. Additionally, being able to work with local professionals from Arizona PBS was a huge plus. The lessons and experiances I gained from SRL, made me a better journalist.

What advice do you have for current SRL participants?

Some advice that I would give to current SRL participants would be to keep an open mind. Keeping an open mind will allow you get better interviews, better video and ultimatly better stories.  On top of that, don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. That is our job as journalists, to get the answers and report back to society. Lastly, NETWORK.  The journalism world is not as big as it seems so whether it be networking with sources or professionally knowing someone will always be a big help.

How has being a student journalist helped you grow as an adult? Why do youth voices matter?

Being a student journalist has helped me grow as an adult in many ways. First and foremost, it has brought my attention to issues that I might not have thought about it had I not been so involved in journalism. It expanded my knowledge and thanks to it, I now research anything and everything because I’m always skeptical of what I hear. It has made me a more educated member of society. Which leads to why youth voices matter. Youth voices provide an angle that often times adults forget about. Not to mention, that the youth voices, and ideas of today, are the ones that will bring change in the future.

What are your plans after graduation?  How do you think your experience with SRL helped you make decisions around what you would like to pursue as a career?

I graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University this past May. I’m now in search of a job within journalism and communications, and will pursue a masters degree in public administration with the goal of earning a doctorate in the near feature. This summer, I will be a Cronkite Summer Leader for the school’s high school summer journalism program where I’ll get to give back and help teach the next generation of journalists. SRL played a huge part in my decision making when it came to what I wanted to pursue as a career. It exposed me to what real journalism is like, and I was often reminded of SRL during my time as a reporter and anchor for Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. In other words, it was one of the experiences that showed me how much I love journalism.