Ash Estevan, a graduate student in the School of Communication, talks about her aspirations of keeping written journalism alive
Ash Estevan | Credit: Robin Weis
By Ellie Webb-Bowen, CLA Student Writer - August 27, 2025
Ashley “Ash” Estevan, ‘24, started her higher education journey at South Texas College (STC), in McAllen, where she acquired an associate of arts in graphic design. After two years, she then transferred to Oregon State University, where she initially was undeclared before deciding on a major in creative writing with an applied journalism minor.
Estevan's childhood was spent growing up in Pharr, Texas, a strong Latino community in the Rio Grande Valley a mere five miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. Estevan would cross it “near daily” to visit friends and family. Estevan’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, and Texas’s Rio Grande Valley has a 90 percent Latino population, leaving Estevan to grow up “very immersed” in the culture.
Estevan didn’t have any plans to go to college, but her parents spoke highly of earning a degree. After immigrating, Estevan’s father attended OSU via the EOP program and graduated in 1997 with a geography degree before settling down in South Texas.
“I wanted to go into a creative field,” explained Estevan, “but I was worried about the job prospects after graduating. I also felt guilty about going into something like writing, while my parents sacrificed so much as immigrants.”
Estevan transferred to OSU in fall 2020, after receiving her A.A. from STC, in part motivated to return to Corvallis, where she spent a few years as a toddler while her father was in school and her mother worked in multicultural affairs.
Upon moving to Corvallis, Estevan remarked that she “never felt more in a foreign place.” Living on her own for the first time outside of South Texas, the environmental, cultural, and societal unfamiliarities made for a challenging transition, in addition to being a transfer student. Furthermore, the COVID-19 Pandemic was just beginning, which meant that Estevan would be isolated in her room taking classes entirely online.
The pandemic was both a blessing and a curse for Estevan. She was able to adapt to her new surroundings at her own pace thanks to the online format of her studies, “in hindsight, it was a good buffer,” she said. Her love of writing was what helped her want to jump into the newness headfirst. Estevan’s excitement towards journalism is what allowed her to overcome the hardships that COVID-19 had brought. “I was thrilled to be able to utilize my skills in a focused field of study."
Growing up on the U.S.-Mexico border, Estevan was immersed in narratives about immigration policy and border safety. She recognized recurring themes in mainstream news outlets: the spread of misinformation and disinformation about the border and about the communities and types of people coming in. “I took charge and wanted to be a voice of truth and wisdom, which really motivated my pursuit of journalism to help others.”
With the completion of her undergraduate degree in creative writing, with a minor in applied journalism, Estevan transitioned to the School of Communication’s master's program, with a focus on new media. Estevan’s research looks at how misinformation spreads extensively throughout media outlets and to the public today. Therefore, artificial intelligence will become a big component of her study.
While at OSU, Estevan is a reporter for The Daily Barometer and the George P. Griffis Publishing Intern at OSU Press, where she is the assistant to the acquisitions editor. Estevan helps with proofreading, manuscript formatting, design, and marketing for the publication house.
“Working at OSU Press has been an amazing experience,” said Estevan. “Being part of the process and seeing how books go from initial pitches to published pieces has been enlightening.”
Estevan has aspirations to pursue her Ph.D., as well as to go straight into investigative journalism. “To be in the industry is a dream, and to continue my academic pursuits is top of my list.”