Power of Storytelling Paves DU Journalism Student’s Path to Legal Career

Immersing herself in “The New York Times” and participating in a high school mock trial program ignited a dual passion for journalism and law in first-generation College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (CAHSS) Student Alyssa Avila. Encouraged by her mock trial mentors to let her passions lead, Avila chose to major in journalism with the long-term goal of becoming a lawyer and never looked back.

Thrilled to graduate in June with a BA in journalism and Spanish and a minor in socio-legal studies, Avila credits her journalism courses with providing the skills, experiences, and mentorship to make her dream of becoming an attorney come true. 

Her media law course and socio-legal classes sharpened her critical thinking skills. “Both are structured like law school classes, with timed quizzes and tests focused on defining the law,” she said. 

In her multimedia course with Professor Kareem Damanhoury, Avila learned to craft concise, engaging news segments — skills she has applied throughout her academic journey. “I often use those techniques to make videos and have been building on them in our advanced multimedia journalism class, which is also our senior capstone project.” 

As a participant in the Department of Media, Film & Journalism Studies (MFJS) senior distinction program, Avila is also honing her emerging video-making skills. Along with fellow students Anna Neumann and Lina Woelk, she is creating a video that offers future MFJS students an inside look at a senior capstone project for the department’s promotional materials. 

The video tells the story of a Colorado woman with developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) and sheds light on the broader landscape of rare diseases in the state. “It’s taught me to be adaptable because the unexpected happens during filming and you need to learn to roll with it,” Avila said. 

Guided by Wolzien Visiting Professor Laura Frank, the project pushed Avila to deepen and refine her visual storytelling. “Laura gives each of us lots of helpful, specific feedback,” she said. “Learning to implement that feedback is something I will take with me professionally and personally following graduation.”

Currently Editor-in-Chief of "The Denver Clarion,”  Avila has written for the paper since her first year at DU. Passionate about writing features that capture human experience and amplify the voices of marginalized communities, she’s proudest of her profile of Professor Reggie Byron and her feature on Professor Maria Salazar. “My piece on Dr. Salazar was the first article the Clarion has published in Spanish and is especially meaningful as it combined both my majors,” she said. 

Beyond the classroom, Avila served as a founding executive board member of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) DU chapter. Through ALPFA, she helped organize professional development workshops and build connections between students and the Denver professional chapter. She also found a home. “We refer to each other as ‘ALPFAmilia’ because of the close ties we form,” she said. 

Her education has helped her focus on clarity and impact in her writing and find local angles to anchor broader narratives. As she finalizes plans to work as a freelance writer and apply to law school after graduation, she now sees her twin passions for journalism and law as deeply intertwined. 

 “Journalism exposes systemic issues and brings attention to underrepresented voices, while law provides a pathway to policy and legal action. A background in both enables me to approach problems from multiple angles and understand not just the legal framework but the underlying human impact.”