About

Courtney Peña is a senior English and communications arts major and a visual communication design minor at St. Mary’s University. Born and raised in McAllen, Texas, she found her love for writing and journalism in high school while in the International Baccalaureate, IB, program and in University Interscholastic League, UIL.  At St. Mary’s University, she found her love for multimedia in Media Production I and Video Production.

Peña is already familiar with the world of journalism. She was a senior writer for the StMU Research Scholars and published three articles. One of her articles won Best in Communications and another one won Best in Gender and was the runner up for Best in Social History. She was also a staff writer for The Rattler and has published lifestyle articles about mental health, recycling, and fashion.

With a 3.95 GPA, Peña has made academics her number one priority. After her first semester on campus, Peña was listed under the StMU Dean’s List with High Honors. Now, she is listed under the StMU Dean’s List with Highest Honors. On top of her academic excellence, she is a member of the Marianist Leadership Program, a mentor in Emerging Leaders, and the historian of For the Animals.

After graduating, Peña hopes to earn her master’s degree, work in the journalism field, and then become a professor in journalism or writing.