Beach alumni leave gift to inspire the next generation of journalists
Whether in a stadium or podcast studio, Brandon Rodriguez ‘26 is animated by a spirit of curiosity shared by a long line of CSULB student journalists.
“I want to know as much as I possibly can,” said Rodriguez, for whom journalism is a way to share his love of sports.
“For me, it is the opportunity to be in the field. That is my dream,” he said. “If I get to broadcast games, if I get to host a sports podcast, that’s where I want to be.”
This spring, the Journalism and Public Relations Department received a gift to help similarly motivated students. The late Carolyn ‘71, ‘73 and Joe ‘70 Ruszkiewicz left a bequest amounting to the largest gift in the Journalism & Public Relations Department’s history.
Their planned gift will fund scholarships for a new generation of journalists, continuing their longtime commitments to their profession and alma mater.
“Carolyn and Joe Ruszkiewicz will be long remembered as great friends of Cal State Long Beach and our journalism program,” said Jennifer Fleming, professor and past chair of the Journalism and Public Relations Department. “By establishing an endowed scholarship fund, they will help generations of aspiring journalists gain the education, experiences and skills needed to succeed in a profession that meant so much to them.”
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Carolyn and Joe Ruszkiewicz met at Long Beach City College, transferred to The Beach and enjoyed lengthy careers in media. Carolyn rose to the Press-Telegram's managing editor’s post and strived to make sure each day’s edition provided a worthwhile read.
“Respecting the reader — that was kind of the bottom line,” said Rich Archbold, public editor of the Long Beach Press-Telegram and a longtime colleague of Carolyn Ruszkiewicz.
“Her bottom line was, she felt like journalism was getting information to people by the printed word, and you did everything you could to get people the information, so they couldn’t put the paper down,” Archbold said.
Joe rose to the senior editor’s job at Road & Track. There, he was remembered in a 2025 article as the magazine’s resident Porsche expert with his own red 911. Together, the couple gave frequently to CSULB during their working and retirement years, incorporating additional generosity into their estate plan.
They also anticipated that journalism would continue to evolve from the trends that prevailed during their careers. In a 2013 note to the university, Carolyn expressed her desire to ensure scholarship recipients would not be restricted to aspiring print reporters.
The bequest is so generous that The Beach will be able draw upon the endowment to award multiple annual scholarships, starting in 2027.
Journalism & Public Relations accepted the gift at a time when faculty are creating opportunities for students interested in all types of media, with recently added courses focusing on social media video, AI media literacy and ethics, and drone photography. Student reporters also receive faculty guidance while working for student media outlets: Beach TV News, The Current, DIG Magazine and ENYE, the last of which publishes Spanish-language news.
