Boy Scout Roots, Red Hawk Ambitions

When he was a Boy Scout in Puerto Rico, he never expected his interest in journalism and digital media to shape his future. Boy Scout…journalism…a combination one never expected, but one Víctor Muñiz Rosa, proudly claims. After earning a merit badge in Journalism, his love for journalism grew.

Victor went from Associate Producer to Producer at WPHL-TV, crafting hard and light news stories for the 5:00 a.m. broadcast. As a 2023 graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Digital Media, he participated in campus media like The Montclarion, WMSC, and Montclair’s university streaming service, Hawk+.

What pushed him to this career? For Victor, experience was key. One is never done learning and he is proof. Victor started to get involved with anything journalism by throwing himself into opportunities that prioritized hands-on involvement. Without WMSC, The Montclarion, and everything he did inside the School of Communication, he wouldn’t be where he is today. “Doing different aspects of journalism helped me become the multimedia producer I am today in Philadelphia,” Victor quotes.

From his ambitions to setting actions, he leveraged his skills of being bilingual like a superpower. He highlights, “One of the most important tools I have as a journalist and as a person is that I can speak Spanish.” He is the only one who speaks Spanish in his station, which helped him to confirm stories and have interviews lined up for different scenarios. Plus, these skills allowed him to have the chance to produce a Hispanic Heritage Month special for WPHL-TV. As much as it helped him to where he is now, as a Red Hawk, he shaped his skills by hosting a bilingual show on WMSC Radio called “Aqui Planeta Tierra.” He was and still is a journalist on a mission.

For aspiring journalists, Victor advises the importance of understanding and using multimedia. He emphasized that a journalist needs to be able to do a story for TV, social media, online, radio, and more. He credits Montclair’s School of Communication and Media for equipping students with a basic foundation in journalism. Above all, Victor urges students to get involved no matter what major they are. Getting involved in extracurriculars is fundamental to a college student’s career journey.

If you want to do TV, go to Montclair News Lab. If you want to write, go to The Montclarion. Victor mentioned, “There’s so much Montclair offers that it would be good to get out there and start developing those skills. If it wasn’t for SCM and the different classes and extracurriculars they offered, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” He even met the love of his life participating in WMSC. So get out there and experience everything Montclair has to offer – his words!

Written By, Grace Velazquez