Episode 18 -- Ross von Metzke

Where Ya At? SDSU's Journalism and Media Studies podcast

Ross von Metzke is the Senior Director of Communications and Public Relations for the "It Gets Better" Project, the world's number one LGBTQ+ storytelling initiative and one of the most successful non-profits to emerge on YouTube.
On this week's "Where Ya At?" podcast, Ross details arriving at The Daily Aztec before starting as a freshman at San Diego State University with a portfolio of clips and getting hired on the spot, his desire to be the editor of a magazine in New York, and how the 9/11 terrorist attack changed the focus of his career to something more serious.
From briefly publishing his own magazine, to working as a freelance writer in San Diego, to moving to Los Angeles and working for The Advocate, Ross shares how he got jobs based on personality, audacity, and the circle of people he's met in life.
These days, Ross is a storyteller for a nonprofit organization with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe. He shares how it began, how he joined the organization, and some of the initiatives that he's most proud to have created.
"Where Ya At?" is a podcast focused on the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University. Each week, during the Fall and Spring semesters, host Josh Suchon (Class of 1996) interviews alumni to learn about their experiences as college students, entering the workforce, key steps in their professional development, advice they'd give to current students, and details about how they covered a specific story.