Jammin’ Out with the Independent

This week, we’d like to introduce you to our arts and entertainment intern Tia Trinh. An editor-in-chief in her own right with UC Santa Barbara’s The Bottom Line, she’s been covering community events like the JAMS Summer Rock Camp and the Goleta Lemon Festival, and even written some live music coverage.

How long have you been interning at the Independent? What got you interested in journalism?

I started interning in June 2024 and have had such a great time getting to know the Santa Barbara area and community even more. As I’ve navigated my way through college, I struggled to figure out what I wanted to do with writing, but after taking various writing classes and working with UCSB’s newspaper The Bottom Line, I found myself drawn toward journalism. As I have moved up in position over the years and now serve as editor-in-chief, I’ve had the opportunity to see the different parts of running a newspaper, and I realized that I really enjoy going out to cover stories and be the one to write the content.

What’s your favorite story you’ve done so far? What was eye-opening about it?

The JAMS Summer Camp story was such a fun experience! I had the opportunity to go check out the camp, meet the instructors and students, and get a glimpse into the lyric and song-making process. It was very cool to watch young students learning different musical instruments to cover songs and produce their own in a week’s time. Speaking of live music, attending and reviewing the Stephen Sanchez concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl is a close second, given that he’s one of my favorite artists!

What brought you to Santa Barbara?

I moved to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB and am majoring in Writing & Literature under the College of Creative Studies with a minor in Asian American Studies. UCSB was one of my top schools, given its location and the opportunities I could get in my major. My favorite part about being here is getting to explore the area, because Santa Barbara has some very scenic spots, and, of course, living right next to the beach!

Do you enjoy other types of writing outside of journalism? What’s the most enjoyable part of it for you? 

Recently, I’ve been writing more creative nonfiction and personal essays, but I still try to write some fiction short stories too. Writing is how I’ve always best expressed myself, and I’m very lucky that my major gives me a space to improve my writing skills every day. I love the art of storytelling and how we craft our words to express emotions and think through actions in such a way that makes a page of words feel so vivid in our heads. Writing is also a very relaxing activity for me, and I try to set aside some time every day to write.

Are you hoping to stay in journalism and make it into a career?

I’m still trying to figure out exactly what I want to do post-grad, which is a bit scary, given how soon that time will come. I know I want to stay in writing, and the longer I work at one of UCSB’s newspapers and the Independent, the more I’ve found myself enjoying journalism. My biggest dream is to be writing for a magazine, and I hope that the steps I’m taking now will contribute toward that goal! At the same time, working with UCSB’s Office of Summer Sessions has really shown me how much I enjoy working with students as a mentor, so I’m also considering a career in that field.

What are some of your favorite things to do in Santa Barbara? Is there something you’d really like to see you haven’t been able to yet? 

All my friends know this about me: I’m a coffee girl. I love going out by myself or with friends to grab a cup of coffee and try out the different coffee spots in the area. Having a car with me over the summer meant I could go out more on my own to explore town, which has led to the addition of some cute new spots that I can now go to for writing, study sessions, or a catch-up with friends. But one thing I really want to do before graduating is to check out the hot springs! I haven’t gotten around to going on hikes around the area, though I’ve heard such great things about all the different trails.