Rick Rojas: Insatiable Curiosity Leads To A Career In Journalism

With a booming voice and an infectious laugh, Aggie political science graduate Rick Rojas isn’t someone you would refer to as a wallflower. Standing well over 6 feet tall, Rojas enters the room with a certain level of confidence that demands attention and leaves one wanting to know more about the friendly Beaumont native. Luckily, Rojas has spent the better part of his life pursuing a career that allows him to engage people on a daily basis and share their stories with the world: journalism.

Rojas reflects on his journey to become a journalist and the lessons he has learned along the way.

The news bug bit Rojas at childhood

Although he has been a voracious reader of newspapers for as long as he can remember, it would be a bit of a stretch to suggest Rojas was reading the opinion pages of The New York Times as a toddler. Yet, as far back as grade school, Rojas had visions of covering politics and electoral campaigns like his heroes on the television.

“I guess it’s old-fashioned, but I grew up watching the evening news at home. I remember thinking to myself, ‘wow, that’s so cool.’ Dan Rather is from right outside of Houston and he went from there to going all around the world doing interesting and compelling work,” Rojas said.

In middle school, Rojas was approached by a cameraman, who lived on his street, about interning at the local news station, KFDM TV. Regulated to small tasks such as answering telephones, Rojas says the opportunity further sparked his curiosity for a news career. Eventually, he would go on to work for his high school paper before taking up several roles for Texas A&M University’s student newspaper, The Battalion, where he juggled many positions. Rojas worked for the paper for two years and credits The Batt for giving him an unofficial course in “journalism 101.”

“I was a reporter, the city editor, and then I was an opinion editor and I did copy editing and some other stuff. It was a good learning experience. It was the first experience I had working on daily deadlines. It was good to get used to that before I started doing professional work,” he said.

An internship with The Washington Post represents a shift towards professionalization

Rojas landed a coveted 12-week internship with The Washington Post. Writing for the paper’s metro section, Rojas admits he initially felt overwhelmed and intimidated by the new gig. The editors created a sink-or-swim environment for the young writers. However, as with other challenges Rojas has faced, he managed to come out on top and finished the program strong, leaving with a new understanding of the news.

One of the highlights for Rojas was having the chance to interact with some of The Post’s editors. On one occasion in particular, Rojas was able to chat with Bob Woodward, the widely-respected journalist who brought down President Richard Nixon. While at Texas A&M, Rojas interviewed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as he was exiting the university. Rojas discussed his interview with Woodward, and conversely, the old pro gave him some insights on his own recent interview with Texas A&M’s former president.

Rojas reconnected with one of his editors at The Post. His mission: cover the tragedy at Fort Hood, where U.S. Army Major and Psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire in the Soldier Readiness Center of Fort Hood, killing 13 people and wounding 30 others. Upon receiving the call, Rojas politely exited his class and headed to the Killeen, Texas.

“The Metro editor at The Post, the boss of the department I interned for last summer, called me to see if I could get out there. I got to Fort Hood by Thursday night, and stayed for three days. I covered press conferences and prayer vigils and camped out at the hospital where the victims were taken, and basically did whatever the editors on the national desk told me to do,” he said.

Focused on the future

This summer, Rojas interned again for The Washington Post’s metro section. Although he doesn’t deny the perks associated with a successful journalism career, Rojas admits his interests in the field have very little to do with a monetary reward. To him, it’s about satiating that curiosity that got him interested in the news as a child.

“Honestly, I can’t believe I’ve gotten paid to do the things that I’ve gotten to do. I can make a living talking to people and sharing stories, which is the most amazing thing in the world. I just like telling stories and being able to interact with people and be curious for a living. I think that’s what is important.”

Upon completion of his internship, Rojas plans to move to west and pursue a career in political journalism.