Jenna Valle-Riestra

Pronouns:

she/her

Sonoma State Grad Year:

2018

What is your current position and/or the industry you work in?

Corporate Communications Manager for Coinbase, the leading crypto/fintech company in the U.S., following a nearly six-year run in political communications in Washington, D.C, including spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Treasury in the Biden Administration and Press Secretary for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

What were your campus involvements at SSU?

Peer Mentor, Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society, Koret Research Scholar, Model United Nations delegate, Research Assistant for Dr. Emily Acosta Lewis, Teaching Assistant for Professor Nathan Murray, General Manager for Primitivo PR, Greek life (Phi Sigma Sigma and Panhellenic Exec), student athlete (cheerleading, 2014-2015), worked in the Career Center, SSU's Fellow for the Panetta Institute for Public Policy (2017), Sonoma State Communications Coordination student advocacy board, LinkedIn Campus Editor program, Residential Student Association.

Why did you choose to attend SSU?

I chose SSU because it felt like the right balance between opportunity and authenticity. I wanted a place where I could learn, grow, and actually enjoy the process. SSU had strong academics and opportunities, but also room and support to breathe, explore, and figure out who I wanted to be. I wanted somewhere where I could get involved, take risks, and actually get to know my professors and classmates, and that's what I found. The smaller community meant I could dive into leadership roles, experiment across disciplines, and find my voice early on – all things that shaped how I approach communications today.

How has Sonoma State made an impact on your life today?

SSU was the first place that made me realize I could actually do something meaningful with my voice. I didn’t go in knowing exactly what I wanted to do. In fact, I came in a pretty messed up kid unsure I was even cut out for college. I just knew I cared about ideas, people, and how stories could shape the world around us. Somewhere between classes, campus leadership, and trying random opportunities like Model U.N., I started to see that communications could be a real career, and even more so, that maybe I was good enough to actually succeed and make a difference with it. And my professors and peers saw something in me and believed in me unconditionally until I learned how to believe in myself. That foundation – being encouraged to think critically, write clearly, speak up even when I wasn’t the most experienced person in the room, and trust my gut – became the throughline of my career.  SSU is where I learned that you don’t have to have your future perfectly mapped out. You just have to stay curious, work hard, and be open to where your skills can take you.

What advice would you give to a current student or recent graduate?

It is OK to be selfish in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. Do not be afraid to take what you have gained here and search for your calling, your greater meaning, with reckless abandon. Do not settle for anything less than an extraordinary life, because you are the only one who is going to live it. Graduating is kind of exactly the manifestation of resiliency; it's a milestone that reflects a relentless pursuit of a larger goal, which you upheld even on the hardest days. And life is tough. The world can be unfair. But it's also big and loud and exciting and full of possibility, and if you keep your head down and stay true to yourself, I'm a firm believer that you can create exactly the life you want to live – and you can re-create it as many times as you care to.