College of the Desert’s Arts and Media Department welcomed four alumni back to campus for the third COD Media Spotlight event on Feb. 26, celebrating the success of proud COD graduates. During the event, the speakers shared their journeys into careers in the media industry and reflected on how their college experiences helped shape their paths and contribute to their success.
The panel featured accomplished media professionals Giselle Woo, Mike Mozingo, Crystal Harrell and Matt King. The discussion was moderated by Associate Professor of Media Production Laurilie Jackson, with support from Digital Design and Film instructor Kent Kay, who serves with Jackson on the COD Media Spotlight committee. Students attending the event also participated in the discussion, there was time for a Q & A with the audience.
All four panelists shared how College of the Desert helped them discover their passion and launch their careers.
Crystal Harrel is a senior promotions producer at KESQ. She started at College of the Desert in 2013 and shared that she was welcomed with supportive counselors and staff who guided her throughout her journey.
Harrel was a part of The Chaparral news team during her time at COD and credited that class for giving her a community-driven and hands-on experience. “I got to do a lot of on-campus event coverage and meet faculty professors. I got to go outside in Palm Desert and do events like Fashion Week and Stagecoach. So that really provided a great avenue for me as a student,” she said.
Harrel’s goal is to lean more into her admiration for film and storytelling, and she also considers teaching.
Giselle Woo is a self-taught musician and the frontwoman of Giselle Woo and the Night Owls. Her band has found success, performing at Coachella in 2022. She dropped her most recent single in 2025 titled “El Desierto.”
Woo began her journey at College of the Desert to learn more about music. “I started with some fundamentals of music, and from there, the program… singing, jazz, music, instruments, theory,” she shared. From there, she was able to find the help and support she needed to grow into the woman she is today.
Woo dreams of owning her own business one day.
Mike Mozingo is a radio host on Mix 100.5 and assistant program director at Connoisseur Media. He attended College of the Desert for four semesters before leaving to work full time at Geek Squad.
After a layoff, Mozingo decided to go back to college. That’s where things changed, he said, “One day during one of my classes, a local DJ, Bradley Ryan from Mix 100.5 came in and talked to the class. I took a business card from him, got an internship, and basically told him, hey, I’ll work for free, you teach me radio. I’ll fix your computers, I’ll mop your floors. You help me out, and hopefully there’s a job for me at the end. And they took me on. I was the only student who took a card that day.” Mozingo has had a job since.
He joked about his first goal of staying funny, but went on to explain that the media industry can be scary; he never knows if he’ll keep his job. He shares, “When another company comes in, they might like you, or they might have other plans they haven’t told you about.”
Matt King is a musician and reporter at Coachella Valley Independent.
He came to College of the Desert because of the PLEDGE program. “It was an easy decision, you know, save a lot of money and just jump in here to College of the Desert and get a degree for free, pretty much. Just put in the work,” he said.
He talked about his struggles with COVID affecting his ability to attend in-person classes, but persisted anyway. College of the Desert helped him gain a new perspective. He says, “It’s just helped me see how important the Coachella Valley is. I’d always been in love with the desert growing up here, but going to community college here exposed me to a lot more groups of people that I never would have interacted with just going to high school and having the people around my same age…It just really showed me that, um, this valley is full of so many interesting, unique people.”
King’s goal is to continue improving and seeking out new opportunities.
COD Media Spotlight is a college event designed to bring media industry professionals to campus, giving students a firsthand look at what it’s like to work in the field. This fall speaker lineup included Dolores Robinson, the first Black female talent manager; Fred Roggin, a longtime NBC sports veteran and television producer Michael Levitt. They shared insights about their careers and experiences in the media industry, offering valuable perspective and inspiration for students interested in media careers.
“Events like this highlight College of the Desert’s commitment to engaging students and helping them launch their careers through real-world insight,” Jackson said. “Inviting successful speakers and alumni back to campus gives students a clearer understanding of the media industry and what it takes to succeed. It also reinforces that community college is still college and that every student has the opportunity to achieve their goals. The panel served as a reminder that inspiration often comes full circle, right back to campus.”
To learn more about upcoming speaker events, follow the COD Spotlight Facebook page for updates and insights.
