Victoria Valenzuela is a graduate student at the University of Southern California studying specialized journalism with a concentration in social justice and investigative journalism. She is currently an audience engagement intern with The Marshall Project and deputy publisher and criminal justice reporter ScheerPost. In the past, Valenzuela has also worked with ProPublica, BuzzFeed News, and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. She is a proud alum of Río Hondo Community College, where she majored in English before transferring to USC for a bachelor’s degree in creative writing.
Following graduation, Valenzuela plans to do digital investigative journalism to break down complex issues and make them more accessible for readers. She is determined to hold power to account and tell stories from underrepresented perspectives and communities. While particularly interested in covering abuses of power and human harm in the criminal justice system, Valenzuela is interested in covering anything with a social justice angle that raises issues.