Each year, thousands of high school students attend Nevada Bound, a campus tour experience offering a glimpse into life at the University of Nevada. For one student, his 2022 visit was more than a tour: it solidified his decision to pursue a career in journalism.

James Perez was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and his family relocated to Las Vegas after being affected by Hurricane Katrina. Growing up, Perez gravitated towards video projects and even “worked” as a broadcaster, reading the morning announcements at his elementary school. He also had a strong interest in sports, which is what ultimately drew him to learn more about the Reynolds School of Journalism’s sports media program.

It was then, in the fall of 2022, when Perez found himself part of that Nevada Bound tour led by former Nevada Sagebrush editor, Emerson Drewes, ’23, that he knew he could align his passions with a successful career as a journalist.

At the start of his freshman year, Perez quickly joined the Nevada Sagebrush.

“I was one of the only sports reporters for the Sagebrush at that time. I was also the only one from that year who actually got credentialed to go to games,” Perez said.

Perez forged relationships within the athletic department, ultimately giving him the opportunity to cover games and secure internships with star players.

In addition to his interest in sports reporting, Perez began exploring the world of political reporting and policy work and landed an internship on United States Senator Jacky Rosen’s 2024 reelection campaign.

“As a reporter, I wanted to see and learn more about my community and I felt like the best way to do that is to hear directly what their issues are,” said Perez. “[The internship] was really cool because I got to hear directly from dozens of people every single day and learn where the big issues are in Northern Nevada, not just here in Reno, but out in the rural communities as well. That definitely taught me a lot.”

Costa Rica and Spanish-language reporting

The following year, Perez submitted a last-minute application to join the Reynolds School’s Cultural Reporting Course trip to La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica.

“We had a bunch of virtual meetings leading up to [the trip], but I don't think anything really could have prepared me for what was going to happen when I got down there,” he said. “It was an amazing experience being out there with all of the researchers, seeing all of work that they do, getting to interact with the wildlife, the insects, the plants. And, just seeing the interconnectivity of those things and going and tying it back to their work, which is in the middle of the rainforest.”

It was during his experience in Costa Rica that Perez was able to hone his Spanish-language reporting skills.

“I'm still working on my Spanish skills, so there were some slight language barriers at times, but I had a lot of support from fellow classmates who kind of helped me throughout that process,” he explained. “It was some of the first Spanish reporting that I got to do at my time here in the journalism school and it’s really helped me out a lot down the line because you're going to have to use those skills later on. It's awesome.”

That summer, Perez applied his Spanish-language reporting skills during an internship for Nevada Public Radio in Las Vegas. Funded through an award from the Scripps Howard Fund to the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Nevada Chapter, Perez’s reporting focused on the primarily Hispanic communities of North and East Las Vegas.

Perez says the experience helped him grow, especially in his audio and multimedia reporting. Several stories, including one about the abrupt closure of a longstanding swap meet due to raising concerns of increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the area, included both English and Spanish. 

KUNR and Report for America

Perez was hired as an intern for KUNR Public Radio, first under a general assignment before moving to the politics beat this semester. Covering local elections, he has focused on engaging younger audiences in civic issues.

“There's a large gap when it comes to people who are in my age group who aren't aware of these issues to the point where they're not involved in the process and they don't even vote,” he said. “What really stands out to me about the reporting on [elections] is that these are direct issues or policies that affect people, and I think it's absolutely imperative that we do our best, and we do our due diligence to make sure that we are informing the community as best we can.”

Next, Perez will continue building his political reporting experience as a Report for America intern with The Nevada Independent.

With mentorship from Claudia Cruz, director of internships and experiential learning, and Vicki Adame, KUNR’s managing editor and a Report for America alum herself, Perez applied and was accepted for the honor.

“As a political reporter, the Nevada Independent is one of the most reputable sites that we have,” Perez said. “So being able to intern and be a part of that team is a great honor, great privilege, and I'm very excited for that opportunity.”

Moving forward

While Perez’s experience and accolades, which also include a National Hearst Award, are already extensive, his desire to continue serving his community — on campus, in Reno, and beyond — remains strong heading into his senior year at the Reynolds School.

Perez will serve as executive editor for the Nevada Sagebrush starting in the fall, a role he imagined for himself since his very first Nevada Bound tour four years ago.

“I feel like my skill set that I've been able to develop here at the journalism school is very diverse and I can see myself going in a variety of different directions, but I think the most important thing , and really the only thing, I think that I care about is making sure that I am a voice for the community and I can represent them in the best way that I can.”