I am a rising senior at Cal and an authority on Golden Bears football and basketball while simultaneously entering my third year as NBC Sports Bay Area's editorial intern covering the region's professional franchises.

My name is Joaquin Ruiz, and I am from Whittier, CA. I am a dedicated rising senior at the University of California (Berkeley) pursuing a B.A. in Digital Media Studies and a minor in Disability Studies while furthering my career as a well-rounded sports journalist. 

I have been NBC Sports Bay Area's intern since 2023. I own over 800 bylines across the company and Yahoo Sports (syndicated), covering the Athletics, Golden State Valkyries and Warriors, San Francisco 49ers and Giants, Sacramento Kings and San Jose Sharks. I also am the lead California Golden Bears reporter for UC Berkeley's school newspaper, The Daily Californian, and campus radio, KALX 90.7 FM, covering and commentating on Cal football, basketball, baseball and softball. I also serve as Cal's inaugural representative for ACC women's basketball voting and am the co-chair of the NAHJ's inaugural "Students and Universities" committee within the sports task force.

Moving people through writing makes my heart full. I am comfortable providing analyses, gamers, features, enterprises, sidebars and breaking news, soundly assembling and assembling sources. I mainly adhere to the AP Stylebook and remain current regarding SEO practices. I also have rich experience managing social media accounts and creating social media/push notification copy.

Growing up, I played organized football for 13 years, taking home All-District honors from Pop Warner to CIF-SS. I also played organized basketball and baseball. My experience as an athlete, paired with my addiction to sports journalism, led me to pursue a life in the industry; factor in my passion for storytelling, and it's clear I never had a chance at being anything else.

I am a proud first-generation student, sibling of the special needs community and Los Angeles-raised Latino. I am a compassionate and serious person capable of working alone, with a team or anything in between.