Decades-Long LA City College Student Graduates With Celebrated Legacy
Decades-Long LA City College Student Graduates With Celebrated Legacy
Los Angeles, California — Graduation is a major milestone and deserves to be celebrated! That's why Patch and T-Mobile have teamed up to recognize our community's outstanding 2024 graduates.
This submission comes from Diana Campbell who nominated Beatrice Alcala of Los Angeles.
Graduate’s name
Beatrice Alcala
What grade is the graduate finishing?
2 year Community College
What school is your graduating student graduating from?
Los Angeles City College
How do you know your graduating student nominee?
She was my classmate in mass communication and journalism classes
Tell us why they deserve to be nominated!
If slow and steady wins the race, Beatrice Alcala is living proof.
She has been a Communications major at Los Angeles City College, in LA, CA taking journalism and mass media classes since early 2000.
Alcala has been part of the success story of LACC’s two publications, campus newspaper “The Collegian and the “Collegian Times” magazine. Both have won National awards with her guidance and skills.
Her name has been a part of every masthead since 2007, that lists her as art director, writer, photographer, videographer and editor, and photo editor.
During the pandemic she was sometimes short of staff, doing all the tasks needed to keep publishing from day one, doing Zoom classes.
The editor got Covid-19 and Alcala filled in with the help of Journalism Advisor Professor Rhonda Guess. They made deadline and published with the problems of a shortage of newsprint and other obstacles associated with the pandemic.
She was always there on distribution day, handing out bundles of papers to journalism students to be taken across the city to homes in the area and businesses.
She was beyond the description of extra-curricular duties and the awards she helped this community college win was extraordinary because sometimes we won out over 4 year-college journalism departments in the National Associated Press competitions and other college competitions.
Now she is finally graduating with a degree in journalism and one in TV.
She will be transferring to CSUN or ASU in the fall to achieve her BA in mass communications.
Alcala was born and grew up in East LA, attending local public schools through high school.
She’s never given up her dreams about reporting on a city she loves.
It wasn’t always easy trying to balance work and school she related.
Alcala set the standard high when she was working on podcasts, and later online
newspaper and annual magazine publications.
She was and still is an inspiration to me, as I was an insecure, older student. With her patience, and guidance, I was her classmate and colleague since 2007.
She could multi-task by doing the layout, photography, videotaping, writing, drawing a cartoon, interviews, and then rushing to her day job.
When we were short of staff, she just did their job and her primary concern was the quality of the publication.
She got on the sports field once and was kicked off by the coach who didn’t want his team members interviewed. She was crushed at this disrespectful action but got an apology later — from administration (not the coach).
Her graduation is at The Greek Theatre on June 5.
Beatrice Alcala’s awards in her own words:
"I have earned 87 awards. Of those 87, I have 27 national awards.
"In Oct. 16 at the L.A. Press Banquet, I received 1st place over Variety, Hollywood Reporter and La "Brea Park News. In 2022, my documentary received 1st place at Colombia Scholastics
"Also, last month I received a CTE awards for best news reel "Fentanyl Unmasked.”
Alcala forgot to mention that she was awarded two scholarships to the colleges she will transfer to continue her education in her chosen field of mass communication.
I want her to finally be recognized for the years she spent to get this far and show her determination, persistence, and skills learned at LACC with the readers of Patch. Thank you for offering this opportunity to shine a light on an a very outstanding graduate.
— Diana Campbell, Journalism student, class of 2023 at LACC.
What's one thing you want everyone to know about your graduating student nominee?
Her ‘never give up’ attitude and smile, despite so many challenges with her health and low income.
Congratulations on your achievements, and all of our best wishes to you in the future, Beatrice Alcala!
This content is brought to our community in partnership with T-Mobile.
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