Tallulah Rector didn’t wait until college to get her start in journalism.
While attending Palm Desert High School during the COVID-19 pandemic, she wrote her first opinion column for The Desert Sun, voicing frustration over the lack of student input in decisions about returning to campus in January 2021. Now, she’s back at the paper as its summer intern.
Rector, who is studying political science at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, said she feels deeply rooted to the Coachella Valley. Her grandmother moved to the desert in the early 1970s, and her family has watched the valley grow into the vibrant, diverse community it is today, she said.
“I just love California. I love my desert community,” Rector said. “I’m just happy to be back and spend some time with my family (this summer).”
And that connection has shaped Rector’s desire to keep locals informed and share stories that reflect the valley’s complexity.
While still in high school, she continued contributing to The Desert Sun, including a deeply personal column about her grandmother she wrote after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The online response was mixed — and at times hostile — but Rector said the experience reaffirmed her belief in journalism’s ability to initiate public discourse.
“It was kind of motivating to see how journalism can make people think differently about things,” she said.
Before joining The Desert Sun, Rector interned for Congressman Raul Ruiz and spent last summer learning the ropes of broadcast journalism at NBC Palm Springs. She’s also worked at Beach House Frozen Yogurt in Palm Desert — her favorite local spot since elementary school — and is quick to recommend the cake batter flavor.
At Vassar, she founded a chapter of Her Campus, a national online magazine for college women, to create a space for other writers to share their voices. She’s also explored narrative journalism, writing about topics ranging from overconsumption and fashion to gun culture and toxic masculinity.
To Rector, politics extends beyond legislation, it’s woven into everyday life.
“Everything around us is political. Everything’s politics,” she said. “And I think it’s just a great representation and way of viewing the world — and the way that everyone thinks and acts as a collective, and so I just want to report on that as a journalist.”
When she’s not at school or in the newsroom, Rector is often playing music around the house. She started playing piano at age 8, taught herself guitar in middle school and, naturally, enjoys writing her own songs. Taylor Swift is her idol — and if she had to choose, “Holy Ground” tops the list of favorites. She’s also been on a Bob Dylan kick, sparked by the release of “A Complete Unknown,” regularly returning to “Like a Rolling Stone.”
This summer, Rector hopes to write as much as possible about the Coachella Valley and reconnect with a community she’s long called home.
“I just want to be more aware of what’s going on in my community and report on that,” she said, adding that she’s been recently reflecting on young people’s views on education, particularly amid the Trump administration’s recent cuts to education.
“I think that’s really affecting students’ desire to go to college, especially (those) who grew up in high school or even middle school during the pandemic, and now the influence of AI doing your homework. I think that’s really affected people,” Rector said.
After wrapping up her internship at The Desert Sun at the end of August, Rector will head to London for a study abroad program, where she’ll take part in a political science internship through Boston University.
“I think that interning at a political office in a different country is going to be such a fascinating experience, especially after interning with political offices here in America, and being able to compare how the governments work,” she said.
Rector has her sights set on Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism after college — and eventually, a career that could take her to the editor’s desk at The New York Times or on air during CNN’s prime-time lineup.
Rector joined The Desert Sun thanks to contributions to the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation, which underwrites this paid internship. The nonprofit identifies needs in the local journalism ecosystem and seeks out grants and donations from individuals and foundations to bridge those gaps. The CVJF is a 501 (c) 3 organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible. To donate, visit www.cvjf.org.
(This story was updated to add information about the funding source for this paid internship.)
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Desert High School alum Tallulah Rector joins The Desert Sun as its summer intern
Reporting by Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
