Alum Highlights
Sirinya Matute, Class of 2000
I'm a 2000 graduate of Birmingham High School's journalism magnet, which became Daniel Pearl High School. l work in local government as a senior analyst, where I lead our public information program. I lean on the foundational content creation and media relations skills I developed in this program every single day. My day-to-day involves tracking media mentions, responding to media inquiries, publishing press releases, crisis communications, managing our website, and curating content for our social and video accounts. After graduating from the journalism magnet, I attended Smith College, where I earned my BA in Economics and Education. I earned an MA in Urban Planning from UCLA in 2009. I now live in Santa Monica, Calif. with my husband, a transportation researcher, and my family.
Chris Bower, Class of 2015
After graduating from DPMHS, I went on to attend the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!) to pursue a degree in Journalism. While completing my Journalism program, I was concurrently enrolled in the Robert D. Clark Honors College, a small, seminar driven cohort of a couple hundred students. I graduated cum laude from both programs in 2019, along with enrollments in the Phi Beta Kappa, Kappa Tau Alpha, and Eta Sigma Phi honor societies. I took the rest of the year off to relax and celebrate my achievements and in early 2020 I landed a job at UCLA. While I haven't made it into the University's communications department yet, it's certainly a goal of mine.
Jesse Cortes, Class of 2017
Attended University of San Francisco where I was co-author, co-editor, and co-researcher of 7 biographies. Volunteered my time outside the classroom to advance the book.
Changemakers: Is a collection of biographies about important figures in the San Francisco African American community. This book was the culmination of years for student writing and researching. All told 87 students from three different scholars programs contribute to the creation of the book. The purpose of Changemakers was not only to preserve the legacy of those who fought for equality and social justice but also to inspire the next generation of Changemakers. The biographies range from labor union leaders like Bill Chester to NBA players like Phil Smith, all of them important figures in San Francisco’s Western Addition.