Hope Munoz is a journalist who graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Journalism and a Minor of Communication from The University of Colorado Boulder, degree awarded in May of 2024.

I have a passion for storytelling and a love for writing and photography. Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, I transferred to CU Boulder at the start of junior year because of my love for The Rocky Mountains and interest in the College of Media, Communications and Information.

I consider myself a highly motivated individual, who is always up for a challenge. I grew up in New Mexico and had a nontraditional start to college. I began at The University of New Mexico in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. I was working full-time and had a lack of outside support. I always wanted to go to school out-of-state, but my dreams felt out of reach. Rather than giving up, I took a chance and applied to the University of Colorado Boulder. And let me tell you, the risk paid off. Colorado is a beautiful state, and I will always be grateful for my time here. The personal and professional experiences I've had here are extremely valuable to me and I wouldn't trade them for the world. 

So, why journalism? We live in a constantly evolving media landscape, and some argue that anyone can be a journalist. While the traditional journalistic format continues to change, I argue that there is a need for reliable journalism now, more than ever before. Social media allows for misinformation to be spread across the internet like wildfire. Although we are in a new age, the issue of misinformation is not a new one. In school, we often spoke about the 1938 radio show, 'War of the Worlds,' which, in a nutshell, caused unintentional nationwide panic as listeners thought a Martian invasion was taking place. I bring this up, because it shows the power reporters hold. Each story I craft is like gathering the pieces of a puzzle and putting them together. It gives me a chance to tell the stories of others, share issues going on in the world, and learn new things. 

I am constantly working on my personal and professional attributes. In addition to writing, I have sharpened my photojournalism skills in school and took a liking to it. I enjoy the art of taking photos and documenting the human experience. I often take photos to accompany my written pieces.  

So, what now?

I want to pursue my Master’s of Journalism from one of my dream schools. It is an ambitious goal, but moving to Boulder taught me that I can do anything I put my mind to. I promise to follow my dreams and always put my best foot forward.