Joana Riva

I am a Mass Communications and Film studies student at USF and the Zimmerman Rush Family Radio News summer intern at WUSF.

I was born and raised in Niterói, a city in the state of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and moved to Tampa by myself at 18 to study at USF.

I grew up surrounded by storytelling, with movies, TV and music as my closest companions and comfort as I moved through different phases of my life. I’ve wanted to be a part of the people who tell stories ever since I realized that was a possibility.

In my journalistic work, I’ve covered a variety of topics, from USF student bands to faculty meetings in my work at The Oracle, USF's Tampa campus newspaper, and other university-related events in my TV work at Z News.

I am also an aspiring filmmaker, and have written and directed a short film made independently with other USF students.

In everything I’ve done as a storyteller at USF, my favorite part has been connecting with people. Whether I’m interviewing someone for a story, covering an event or brainstorming a scene with classmates, my favorite part of storytelling is how it brings people together. Trying to understand someone better is my favorite thing to do as a storyteller, no matter the medium, so my goal as an intern at WUSF is to foster empathy through the stories I tell.

In my free time, I can usually be found journaling, watching something or talking about something I’m watching. I am a huge cinema, TV and theatre nerd and speak mainly in film quotes and song lyrics.