Maria Sestito
Resumé
Maria Sestito
writer, editor & photographer
currently in Palm Springs, Calif.
Reporter and photojournalist interested in educating people about the world, educating myself, traveling and making a positive impact any way that I can.
Experience
The Desert Sun, Palm Springs, Calif.
Senior Issues Reporter
Reporter covering seniors and the growing aging population in the Coachella Valley.
Also, a Report for American corps member responsible for helping the newspaper facilitate community trust and engagement.
University Business Partnerships & Services, Berkeley, Calif.
Marketing Assistant
Responsible for brand building and developing social media marketing strategies. Creates content for multiple print and online platforms. Acts as the department marketing liaison among partners and UC Berkeley stakeholders.
Oakland North, Berkeley, Calif.
Business Reporter
Wrote feature-length business and technology stories for the fast-paced, hyperlocal website operated by UC Berkeley journalism students. In addition to writing news articles, I photographed events, edited the website and social media posts, created video stories and contributed to the affiliated podcast, Tales of Two Cities.
The Napa Valley Register, Napa, Calif.
Public Safety Reporter
Rebooted the newspaper's crime beat, establishing better relationships within the community as well as law enforcement agencies. Covered breaking news, crime, courts, housing, mental health and the lgbtq community. Curated the Instagram account, increasing its followers fivefold.
The Daily News, Jacksonville, N.C.
Reporter, Photographer
Responsible for taking, editing and captioning photos for print and online news media. Types of photos include news, feature, sports and photo illustrations. Reporter responsible for crime, business, event and general assignment reporting. Also responsible for writing obituaries as well as updating music and weekend calendars.
Languages
English
Arabic
Skills
writing
editing
photography
videography
photo & video editing
social media
In print
The Desert Sun
Napa Valley Register
St. Helena Star
American Canyon Eagle
The Weekly Calistogan
Inside Napa Valley
The Daily News
Star News
New Bern Sun Journal
Kinston Free Press
Topsail Advertiser
Coastal Living
Menus & More
2010 - present
2010 - present
Education
UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, Berkeley, Calif.
Graduation: May 2020
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellow, 2018-2019
Bloomberg-UNC-Berkeley Business Journalism Diversity Fellow, June 2019
Dean’s Merit Fellowship, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, 2018-2020
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.
Graduation: May 2012
Major: Middle Eastern Studies GPA: 3.8
Minor: Women and Gender Studies
Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Theta Kappa, Delta Epsilon Iota, Tau Sigma
Online
desertsun.com
napavalleyregister.com
jdnews.com
newbernsj.com
starnewsonline.com
kinston.com
topsailadvertiser.com
hickoryrecord.com
citizen-times.com
pal-item.com
newsday.com
startribune.com
theheraldbusinessjournal.com
dailycommercial.com
mobilefoodnews.com
globalnews.ca
newsinphoto.ru
sott.net
baynewsrising.org
oaklandnorth.net