Our Students

Alex Coba

Alex Coba is a 24-year-old student at California State University, Chico. He is a proud Stockton, California native who is studying journalism and public relations. Coba started his journalism career at his community college paper, The Delta Collegian, where he reported and designed the newspaper. Coba frequently covers the Chico arts scene for Chico State’s student-run newspaper, The Orion, and the Chico Enterprise-Record. Currently, he is the art director for The Orion. He also shoots photos and videos for Little Red Hen, a local not-for-profit that works with adults with developmental disabilities, where he is an instructor in the online office.

Story | Reflection

Angelica Hernandez

Angelica Hernandez is a recent graduate from Fresno State with a degree in mass communications focusing on multimedia production. As a student, Hernandez’s passion for creative storytelling, along with her ability to oversee complex projects and manage teams led her to serve as the producer, writer and director for numerous student media projects. Hernandez has created podcasts, live broadcasts, as well as short films and documentaries. She wants to leverage the power of media to lift up the stories of historically marginalized groups and highlight key social issues in society such as race, poverty, worker’s rights, women’s issues and more.

Janelle Marie Salanga

Janelle Marie Salanga is a junior at the University of California, Davis pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Science & Technology Studies and minor degrees in Asian American Studies and Professional Writing. Salanga is an editorial intern at U.C. Davis Magazine and is the co-creator of “#include,” a podcast aiming to make computer science accessible. She also wrote and directed a vignette for last year’s Pilipinx Cultural Night and participated in other community work by serving on the boards of three different Filipinx-American interest organizations at UC Davis. When Salanga isn’t writing or recording, she’s binge-watching “New Girl,” drinking tea, or reading coming-of-age novels.

Ricardo Tovar

Ricardo Tovar has always loved telling stories, and it was his love of sports that led him to journalism. As a child, Ricardo would slick his hair back and talk into a hairbrush pretending to be an announcer on Sunday Night Football. Currently, Ricardo is a senior at Chico State University. He writes for The Orion and hosts a podcast called The Wildcat Rumble. Ricardo has interviewed World Series champion Barry Zito and Major League Soccer legend Chris Wondolowski. When the travesty of the Camp Fire destroyed the city of Paradise, Ricardo hunkered down and learned how to report breaking news, that included everything from following President Trump’s tour of Paradise to helping to save kittens while in the city. Ricardo tries elevating voices that aren’t often heard. He loves helping people and believes journalism is one of the best ways you can do it. Ricardo has been a performer his whole life, whether it’s playing sports or instruments (sometimes even magic). Ricardo is a bolt of energy and considers himself the storm before the calm.

Roman Battaglia

Roman Battaglia recently graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Digital Communication Arts. He managed his college radio station, KBVR FM, where he oversaw over 140 volunteer DJs and coordinated events. Battaglia was recently awarded an internship at Jefferson Public Radio through the Charles Snowden Program. While there, he reported on everything from endangered species to healthcare legislation. His favorite piece was about a cross cultural football game between Japanese and American high school football teams in Ashland. Battaglia plans to pursue a career in public radio to uplift community voices at a local level and explore how national events and policy impact individuals. Battaglia enjoys listening to many different podcasts, cooking, and finding new books to read.