Meet WVC alum and Emmy award winner Josue Cuevas. “Being a first-generation college graduate means everything to me,” Josue said. His parents immigrated to the U.S. with the intention of expanding opportunities for their family, and his dad’s repeated encouragement to go to college is an important part of Josue’s identity today: “My parents gave up everything to give me what I have now,” he affirmed.
This deep appreciation for his parents and the sacrifices they made, combined with his sense of pride in his culture and his willingness to work hard and be curious, have paid off for Josue. He currently works as a news producer in Denver and is the recipient of an Emmy award. “I never thought that this would be my life, but it became [my life]. I think a lot of people are afraid to just take that leap, and I'll say it's not as scary as it seems. I like to be proof of that.”
Josue grew up in Wenatchee. After high school, he enrolled at Wenatchee Valley College for its affordability and so he could figure out his career path. His growth at WVC wasn’t just academic. He fondly remembers spending time in Van Tassell Center and recalls feeling that his “restraints were dropped” in college, that those years of personal growth were formative. “I really blossomed into the person I am today and the person I love, you know, because it was a long path to...love me for who I am.” He also worked a customer service position in the retail sector during that period, which, he acknowledged, “brought something out of me that I didn't know I had.”
As graduation neared, Josue knew he wanted to transfer to a university but hadn’t landed on a career path yet. One of his TRIO advisors observed his interest in communication studies and encouraged him to explore that. Thanks to the journalism classes he took with Dr. Karen Alman, chair of WVC’s Communication Studies department, he realized he liked to write, and he began to explore journalism, which Professor Alman encouraged him to consider as a potential path.
As a transfer student at Washington State University, Josue noticed the difference in size of the two schools, but he felt that his studies at WVC had prepared him well for the academic work that awaited him. He decided to pursue journalism and liked that the program let him find his niche, which became production. Josue credits his mentors and advisors at WSU for supporting him in his move toward the local news route.
Shortly after graduating from WSU with his bachelor’s degree in journalism and media production, Josue got his first job in local news in Spokane, where he worked for three years. Though he remembers some "growing pains" during that first professional chapter, he knew he could always count on his willingness to work hard, take direction, and receive feedback as strengths that would help him continue to learn. Josue’s manager took note of his work ethic and production know-how, and he was promoted to senior producer.
It was during this time that Josue produced the newscast that would earn him an Emmy award. He awoke to news about an arrest that was made in Pennsylvania related to a nearby murder case, and he got to work putting together a newscast that was nominated for, and won, an Emmy award in 2023.
Seeking a bigger news market, Josue moved to Denver in the fall of 2024. In his current role, Josue puts together the late show Sunday through Thursday. The content is a mix of local and national news, and he’s tasked with considering his audience and choosing news of the day that are “relevant and impactful to the community.” Josue thrives on the multi-faceted nature of production work, which means serving as the “middleman” to facilitate collaboration between the anchors, meteorologists, editors, co-producers, reporters et al., and taking responsibility for the show. Outside of work, he appreciates the community he has built in Denver.
Josue continues to hold long-term goals for his career, like perhaps one day living and working in New York City, or doing production for a late-night comedy show – a favorite art form of his. “John Oliver is the one I see myself [working for] the most just because it's such a good blend of news, research, and what I do and comedy,” Josue said. He also thinks about returning to Washington at some point in the future, with eyes on Seattle networks that he might like to work at. This fall, Josue will be relocating to Austin, Texas to work as the Daybreak Executive Producer of KVUE News' morning show.
With all of his success, Josue holds his and his family’s stories close to heart. Recently, he felt some emotion when thinking about all that his family has done for him: “I told [my co-worker] that I was raised by really good people in a really good way.” He also still has a lot of love for Wenatchee Valley College, and has returned to campus to visit professors and to “give thanks to the people, the places, that gave me what I am.”
Josue emphasized the importance of students taking advantage of available resources and the time in their life to be a student. “The great thing about a community college like WVC, because of how small it is, is how much of a community you can build there …. I think you can find your group, that community that really can propel you to, you know, new heights and to whatever you want to do. And I think that might be taken for granted, especially for young people who don't realize that.”
Josue’s memories of WVC resurface frequently. “If it wasn't for this place, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I say that genuinely. I'm very grateful for those two years,” he said. He knows WVC as a place where students can find their own niche, and believes it’s possible to enter the workforce directly after graduating with a two-year degree.
Josue encourages students not to underestimate the importance of making connections: “Do your homework, do what you need to do for your classes, but take that extra step of making connections with professors or advisors or other people in the industry you want to go into. I think supporting those relationships is invaluable.”