2020-2021 Staff
Anneliese Esparza
Editor-in-Chief
Anneliese Esparza is a senior Literature and Writing major serving as The Cougar Chronicle's Editor-in-Chief. She also freelances for The Riverside Press-Enterprise. After graduation, she hopes to get a Master's in journalism and become an editor for a mid-size local newspaper. When not writing articles, Anneliese enjoys playing piano, reading, spending time with her family and...
Adrianna Adame
Managing Editor
Adrianna Adame is a senior at CSUSM majoring in history and minoring in communication. When not writing articles or studying, she spends her time reading books and watching Netflix dramas. Once she graduates, she hopes to go to graduate school and eventually become a news reporter.
Sasha Anand
Features Editor
Sasha Anand is a third year Literature and Writing major and Spanish minor. She aspires to pursue a writing or teaching career in the future. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing and spending time with her family and friends. This is her third year working with The Cougar Chronicle.
Tania Ortiz
Opinion Editor
Tania Ortiz is the Opinion Editor for The Cougar Chronicle. She is a senior at CSUSM as a Communication major. Tania plans to pursue a job in the media industry after graduation. In her free time, she enjoys reading, going on runs and spending time with friends.
Carissa Mae Fernandez
Advertising Sales Representative
Carissa Mae Fernandez is a junior Marketing major serving as the 2020-2021 Advertising Sales Representative. She is also a member of the CSUSM Women's Volleyball Club. After graduation, she hopes to receive a Master's in marketing and become a Chief Marketing Officer for a well-known company. In her free time, Carissa enjoys going to the beach, playing volleyball (indoor and...
Dianne Bawit
Advertising Sales Representative
Dianne Bawit is currently a senior Human Development with an emphasis on health services major at CSUSM. She looks forward to being engaged in the CSUSM community where she can interact with faculty and students.
Synthia Ayala
Video/Design Editor
Synthia Ayala is a fourth year Arts and Technology major who is serving as the Video/Design Editor. She is also working at Trio Student Support Services as the Video and Media Manager. In her free time, she enjoys learning more about current events and critiquing films.
Maria Jungers
Assistant Opinion Editor
Maria Jungers serves as the Assistant Opinion Editor for The Cougar Chronicle. She studies Literature and Writing as a junior here at CSUSM. When she is not writing articles or poetry, she enjoys teaching yoga, mini road trips and investing time with family and friends.
Eduardo Martinez
Web Assistant
Eduardo Martinez is a senior Marketing major who updates the website for The Cougar Chronicle. Currently, he is a freelancer for his own business for clients that need websites. On his own free time, Eddie likes to catch up on sleep since he believe it's best to balance work and school.
Bailey Heffernan
Video Reporter/Staff Writer
Bailey Heffernan is a senior Literature and Writing major. This is her first year as a staff writer for The Cougar Chronicle. When she is not writing she enjoys playing video games, helping her siblings with schoolwork and training her cats.
Esabel Sadek
Video Reporter/Staff Writer
Esabel Sadek is a video reporter for The Cougar Chronicle, where she creates video content about student life. Outside of her school life, she works for CaliforniaLifeHD, where she produces segments for the TV show and manages their social media. She is also a Marketing Manager for NAMI in San Fernando Valley, a non-profit organization that provides education and public awa...
Ariana L. Kitts
Staff Writer/Video Reporter Intern
Ariana L. Kitts is a video reporter and staff writer intern majoring in Communication and minoring in Political Science. Prior to joining The Cougar Chronicle, Ariana shadowed a news anchor at KUSI and learned about video reporting and production. Ariana stays involved in campus life and serves as the President of Lambda Pi Eta, Communication Honor Society. Twitter handle: @ar...
Kat Parra
Staff Writer/Photographer
Kat Parra is in her senior year here at CSUSM and majoring in Art and Technology. Since last semester, she has been assisting The Cougar Chronicle as a photographer and staff writer. She enjoys sculpting, art, video design and spending time with family. She will be the first in her family to graduate from a four-year university. Her inspiration is and always will be her mom...
Anjolei Paras
A&E Writer
Anjolei Paras is a 2nd-year History major who is an Arts & Entertainment Writer for The Cougar Chronicle. She loves to travel, go to the beach and watch films. She hopes to travel to Europe post-graduation and work in a writing field.
David Faketty
Assistant Video Editor
David Faketty is an Art and Technology major here at CSUSM acting as an assistant video editor for The Cougar Chronicle's YouTube channel.
Marissa Alvarez
Staff Writer
Marissa Alvarez is in her third year Communications major who will be a staff writer for The Cougar Chronicle. She is an aspiring activist advocating for important matters such as voting, politics and women's rights. Some of her hobbies are watching the news, writing short poems, playing softball and listening to music.
Alya Burnand
Staff Writer
Alya Burnand is a senior Literature and Writing major serving as a staff writer. She also runs a blog in which she analyzes movies and shows. After graduation, she aims to join the Writers’ Guild of America, a union that serves thousands of screenwriters. In her free time, Alya enjoys reading fiction and writing creatively, watching shows and movies, exploring social med...
Kristie Castillo
Staff Writer
Kristie Castillo is a junior Criminology & Justice Studies major serving as a staff writer. After graduation, she hopes to get her Juris Doctor and eventually become an attorney, either in Family Law or International Law. In her free time, Kristie enjoys reading, listening to True Crime podcasts and watching crime-based TV shows with her family.
Angelica Cervantes
Staff Writer
Angelica Cervantes is a recent transfer to CSUSM and is now a staff writer for The Cougar Chronicle. She enjoys writing her own stories as well as watching various types of films. She aspires to become a screenwriter and to have an influence in cinema.
Christopher King
Staff Writer
Christopher King is a sophomore Political Science major at CSUSM and is now a staff writer for The Cougar Chronicle. He enjoys developing his writing skills along with his ability to analyze current events. In his free time he reads and spends time in Encinitas.
Brittney Scardina
Staff Writer
Brittney Scardina is a senior at CSUSM who is majoring in Literature and Writing with a minor in Communications. She will be a staff writer this year for The Cougar Chronicle and is excited because this will be her first year working with the Chronicle. After graduation, she hopes to move to New York and find an internship within the journalism field. Brittney also enjoys pla...
Destinee Taylor
Staff Writer
Destinee is a fourth-year student completing a Literature and Writing Studies major and History minor. She joined The Cougar Chronicle to stay involved with campus affairs during an unprecedented time of limited campus life and involvement, and to gain experience in journalism writing. She is passionate about resisting oppression, supporting the oppressed and promoting hum...
Kent Davy
Advisor
Kent Davy has been the faculty advisor for The Cougar Chronicle since 2014. Kent graduated from both undergraduate school and law school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, then practiced law for several years before switching careers for journalism. Following the death of his wife, Joel, in 2007, he was awarded a first place for column writing by the Society of Professional Jou...
Ariel Lopez
Assistant A&E Editor
Ariel Lopez is a recent transfer student majoring in Literature and Writing Studies in hopes of becoming a high school English teacher. In her free time, she enjoys reading, analyzing music, watching movies and weightlifting. She will be the first person in her family to graduate college, and hopefully the first in her family to earn a Master's degree once she finishes her...
Ruben Santana
Graphic Design Intern
Diana Beas Soto
Staff Writer
Diana Beas Soto is a current second-year Pre-Business student majoring in Marketing. Her favorite activities are creative writing and digital drawing. She hopes to apply what she learns from The Cougar Chronicle into the real world and make new friends.
Jules Appleton
Staff Writer
Jules Appleton is a senior at CSUSM majoring in Literature and Writing Studies and minoring in Film Studies. She enjoys writing poetry, watching movies, and playing video games. She has been featured in Palomar College’s literary magazine, Bravura. Post-graduation, she plans to become an English teacher....
Magali Castillo
Staff Writer
Magali Castillo is a recent transfer student to CSUSM majoring in Literature and Writing Studies with a minor in Global Studies. She was born and raised in Los Angeles. This is her first year as a staff writer for The Cougar Chronicle. She is also a content writer for Tasteless.Studio that is based in Los Angeles. She likes to write about current events, racial injustice, men...