Little did I know when first visited KZSC’s cabin in the woods that I’d be volunteering there on a regular basis for the next two years. Of all the things I did at UCSC, co-hosting “The Bushwhacker’s Breakfast Club” on Friday mornings was the funnest and most unpredictable. Every time I did the show, I felt like I was jumping into a whirlwind of one-liners, tricky song transitions, and multifaceted guest interviews.

My Music History: KZSC Intro to Radio - May 2022 (11 min)
A short piece I made for my “Intro to Radio” class where I talk about ten songs that have shaped my life.

Midway through my freshman year, I joined the UCSC podcast team and started covering student-related affairs and happenings on campus. The amount of time and energy I put into some of my podcasts was ridiculous but I learned as I went — and boy, was it fun.

The Worst Afternoon of Clark Kerr’s Life- Part 1 (March 2023) and Part 2 (February 2024)
Inspired by the geniuses at “Throughline,” I did a deep dive on UCSC founder Clark Kerr and the dramatic story of what happened between him and angry student protesters at the university’s very first commencement ceremony in June, 1969.

What the Heck is the Deal with These Quintuple Rooms? Part 1 (January 2022) and Part 2 (February 2022)
A two-part series where I interview UCSC’s Director of Housing (Dave Keller) and uncover the logic behind the university’s Let’s-cram-as-many-students-as-we-can-into-any-space-we-can-find housing policy, a concept known as “densification.”

Slug Safari: Bus Routes - February 2022
A freewheeling piece where I ride every single bus route in UCSC’s public transit system and explain how it all works.

My first plunge into real-world, team-based, we’ve-got-deadlines-to-meet-here print journalism. CHP has been around for decades and continues to do great work thanks to the dedication of multiple editors-in-chief, an ongoing supply of scrappy student journalists, and a legendary faculty advisor. Here are a few of the stories I did at CHP:

Crisis Now: Santa Cruz County’s Road to Mental Health Crisis Response - October 2023

The Chancellor’s House: On Campus for Decades, Now Off Campus Indefinitely - May 2023

No Rest for Pajaro: Flood Survivors Struggle to Find Financial Relief - April 2023

Audio, video, background music, quirky graphics, sound effects. Combine and stir.

Running Every Berkeley Hills Footpath in 24 Hours
One of the main projects I did for my “Advanced Multimedia” class at UC Berkeley: a boots-on-the-ground exploration of a magical, relatively unknown network of footpaths that weave throughout Berkeley.

How to Thread a Sewing Machine
A short, hard-hitting piece on a vital skill that all home crafters should possess.

Lego Video #37 and Self-Folding Origami Video
When I was a kid, I would lock myself in my room for hours and make stop motion videos with my Canon Sure Shot digital camera. My parents say I was a pretty easy child to raise.

OCSA is a true outlier: a liberal, progressive, arts-focused charter school located smack in the middle of conservative Orange County. Not surprisingly, the school newspaper was a home for avant-garde creativity and risk-taking.

Pierce Tries a Taco - January 2020
My first article for the OCSA newspaper, about a guileless freshman named Pierce who had never eaten a taco before.

Pierce Tries Sushi - March 2020
A follow-up to the groundbreaking first article, in which Pierce tries another challenging food.

CW Open Mic Nights - March 2020
My love letter to the Creative Writing Conservatory’s once-a-month “Open Mic Nights,” where students could get up on stage in front of their peers and perform any piece they wanted (as long they kept it under four minutes, which people rarely did).

Some of the “What’s Happening Today” drawings I created for the Sawdust Festival Daily Whiteboard.

Here’s the hand-drawn artwork I created for the second album I wrote, played, and self-released on SoundCloud.

A random collection of drawings and artwork I did when I was growing up: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

My prized Origami Yoda collection. (Like I said, I spent a lot of time in my room when I was a kid.)

Music has been a big part of my life ever since my orchestra days in middle school. When my orchestra career ended, I bought a used Yamaha guitar on Craigslist and started doing my own thing. Ten years and four guitars later, I’m still plunking away.

That Boy Was Born to Run With the River - February 2021
The second album I self-released on SoundCloud.

Big Fanna Life Tho. Might Sticka Round - May 2020
Trapped at home during the pandemic, I decided to create something and put it out into the world. I wrote, played, and uploaded this semi-concept album in just under 30 days.