Paulina Castellanos Wade builds bilingual journalism path with NBC7 and Telemundo20 internship

Paulina Castellanos Wade’s journey to the newsroom did not begin in San Diego. Raised in Saltillo, Mexico, she now brings a bilingual, global perspective to her work as a double major in journalism and international economics at SDSU and as an intern at NBC7 and Telemundo20. She also was awarded one of six "emerging journalists to watch" awards by the California Press Association.

Castellanos Wade said she always knew she wanted to study journalism. However, her parents were hesitant because they viewed it as a risky career. When she first arrived at SDSU, she declared international economics as her sole major.

“It was a sacrifice to study in the United States coming from Mexico,” Castellanos Wade said. “But I wanted to be a journalist.”

After careful consideration, Castellanos Wade added journalism as a second major, a decision that led her to the Emma Bowen Foundation, a nonprofit that creates career opportunities for students of color in media, entertainment and technology by connecting them with paid internships at leading companies.

Through the Emma Bowen Foundation, Castellanos Wade was connected with NBC7 and Telemundo20. After completing four rounds of interviews, she was later contacted directly by NBC through its own application process. Initially, she expected to receive a production-focused internship but was encouraged to apply for a fall internship that offered a writing role more closely aligned with her interests. She was later selected for that position.

Castellanos Wade encourages JMS students to regularly check internship opportunities shared on Canvas by Christie Ritter, a lecturer and internship coordinator for JMS. Ritter posted the Emma Bowen Foundation opportunity that first introduced Castellanos Wade to internship opportunities at NBC7.

Through the internship, Castellanos Wade has taken on a wide range of responsibilities, including writing in both English and Spanish and contributing to the digital media team. Working across NBC7 and Telemundo20 has allowed her to experience two distinct approaches to storytelling within a single newsroom.

“It’s super fun to see how different they are but how they function as one newsroom, which I love,” she said. “For me, it feels like I’m part of a family that understands my identity as a Mexican as well as what I want to achieve in the United States.”

The internship also allowed Castellanos Wade to experience how a newsroom operates during high-pressure moments. As a writing intern during the 2024 presidential election, she was eager to take full advantage of the opportunity and contribute meaningful coverage during a pivotal news cycle.

During that time, Castellanos Wade pitched a story examining how the tariffs Donald Trump proposed with Mexico could impact the United States, an idea that was well received by her manager at Telemundo20. She interviewed her economics professors to inform the reporting, drawing directly from her second major. Castellanos Wade later translated the story into English for NBC7, allowing it to reach a broader audience.

Castellanos Wade believes that taking initiative and actively seeking opportunities has been an essential part of her internship experience.

“I could just sit down and wait for people to tell me what to do, but I realize that everyone’s busy in the newsroom,” she said. “It was more helpful for me to pitch my ideas of how I think I can contribute to the team.”

While many of her pitches were not approved, others moved forward and created impact across different communities.

“I really like how being international and knowing other languages helps me produce a range of stories that are for different audiences,” she said. “I think every story needs representation, and being international gives you a different perspective on things.”

Castellanos Wade’s international identity extends beyond the newsroom to her semester abroad in Paris, where she continued to build on her global perspective as a journalist.

“I went to Paris, and it was an amazing experience that I think really complimented my journalism studies here at SDSU,” she said. “The professors were freelance writers that I really looked up to, and it really inspired me to come back, finish my degree and continue my internship.”

Looking ahead, Castellanos Wade plans to continue pursuing a career in journalism while integrating her background in international economics. She hopes to leverage her Spanish language skills to tell stories that serve diverse audiences and reflect the realities of an increasingly global news landscape.

Through persistence, initiative and a commitment to representation, Castellanos Wade has used her time at SDSU to shape a path that bridges borders, languages and disciplines. Her experience shows how combining academic focus with hands-on internships can help students create meaningful, community-centered journalism before graduation.