Major: Journalism

Activities: Journalism Writing Support Program, Moody College of Communication, Reporter for the Daily Texan, Texas Student Media, Texas Student Television; intern for the Wall Street Journal and KXAN News; freelance writer for the Austin Business Journal

UT or bust … Back in high school, Jaramillo didn’t believe college was a viable option. Growing up in a low-income family, she had to be as resourceful as possible to get into her dream school, UT Austin. “Luckily, through the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, I was awarded a full four-year academic scholarship. I wanted to go to the best, and Texas is the best.”

Pursuing an unpredictable market…During her freshman year, Jaramillo was excited to get her start as a rookie reporter. However, she was leery about pursuing a career in a rapidly evolving field.  “Coming in, we were warned about how the industry was changing, how hard it was going to be, and the influx of layoffs. But I do feel that when you’re passionate about something, there will be a job open for you, no matter the circumstances within the market.”

On the beat … Looking back at her time on the Forty Acres, Jaramillo is most fond of her experiences writing about the big issues on campus and seeing how her stories affected the UT community. She said her investigative reporting prompted UT President Gregory L. Fenves to re-evaluate and make changes to the university’s disciplinary process.   “I’ll most remember the protests, listening to the concerns of students and hearing about how the student government is making changes on campus.”

Moving to the big leagues… After graduation, Jaramillo plans on taking her journalism skills to the next level in New York City, where she will intern for The Wall Street Journal. After covering hard news for the Daily Texan, she plans on pursuing a different beat: financial and business reporting. Graduate school is an option that she may consider in the future. Someday she plans to return to the academic world as a journalism professor. But for now Jaramillo is excited to get started in the newsroom, where she will be reporting on big issues that are affecting our pocketbooks.