City of residence: Oakland
Work: I’m a reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle on the engagement team and cover a little bit of everything. In the past year and a half since I started at The Chronicle, I’ve mostly worked on data-focused COVID-19, wildfire and real estate stories. I also help write newsletters. I’ve found it pretty easy to become passionate about any topic I focus on, from transportation to dining to visual arts.
What joining AAJA means to her: The college I attended didn’t have a dedicated journalism program, so I applied for AAJA Voices to gain more experience, network and meet more journalists. I found all that and so much more with AAJA, which helped me land multiple internships and my first job. Over the years I’ve served as president of the Arizona chapter, participated in the ELP program and currently co-lead the Features Forum affinity group with AAJA-SF Bay Area board member Mariecar Mendoza, also a colleague of mine at The Chronicle.
Fun fact: I enjoy hiking, cooking, camping and hanging out with my dog. I love dining out and exploring new places, so I maintain a 20-page Google Doc of places to check out in the Bay Area and beyond. Also, I’ve been to so many concerts and festivals in my life that I stopped keeping track years ago!
Connect: Twitter: @KellieHwang IG: @hwangloose925
What to be featured in our next member spotlight? Fill out our survey!