When Ryan Loyola (Stevenson ’23, politics) stepped onto the UCSC campus his first year, he didn’t know he wanted to become a journalist. What he did know was that he had an affinity for storytelling and dissecting political institutions. After he took a Writing 2 class with Kate McQueen, and joined City on a Hill Press—the campus’s student-run newspaper of record—he was hooked to the world of journalism.
Now one year after graduating from UCSC, Loyola is a news assistant and fill-in assignment editor at ABC7 Los Angeles where he reports on breaking news.
“It took a pinball of luck and fate for me to come across opportunities at UCSC that led me to leave campus as a journalist.”
Some of his day-to-day tasks at ABC7 include pitching stories, following up on story leads, interviewing sources, and collecting up-to-date information. Some of his other responsibilities include operating a teleprompter and editing newscasts into digital packages for social media and other online platforms.
“My favorite part about ABC7 is that I feel like I’m being challenged every day,” Loyola says. “Coming from a print background, broadcast journalism is an entirely different beast. ABC7 is an environment where I can push myself and grow while learning about my craft at the highest level. Every day, I’m growing as a journalist and it is such a privilege to do so alongside some of the best in the business.”
At UCSC, Loyola spent three years with City on a Hill Press, becoming co-editor in chief in his last year. He also worked as a student fellow with CalMatters—a nonpartisan and nonprofit California-based news organization— for two years, and interned with them for 10 weeks the summer after graduation.
He was also a member of Bayanihan, one of UCSC’s largest ethnic organizations primarily serving Filipinx students. He served as the co-chair of the organization in his last year.
“Bayanihan gave me a space to explore and expand on my own identity as a Filipino American, something I never had the opportunity to do before I entered UCSC.”
Hailing from East Hollywood, Loyola’s parents immigrated to California from the Philippines in 2000. His parents, who received their degrees in the Philippines, always stressed the importance of education. Loyola knew he wanted to attend UCSC after an all expenses paid trip to visit the campus for three days and two nights, made possible by Engaging Education, exposed him to campus culture.
In the future, Ryan hopes to become a news producer for a major television market, but is still happy to explore the multitude of avenues and opportunities at his fingertips.
“I’m still young so there are so many opportunities for growth and learning,” he said. “I’m lucky that I’m part of the ABC family since there are so many other fields and spaces for me to explore and take a swing at.”
Read more about the Class of 2023 and their lives beyond the UCSC redwoods.
