Photo: Fresno State alumna Samantha Golden works at Gymnastics Beat in northwest Fresno, where she directs their recreation, tumbling, and gymnastics programs.
“I wasn’t about to leave my passions behind when I graduated college.”
Fresno State alumna Samantha Golden works two jobs: full-time as the recreation director at Gymnastics Beat and part-time as a writer for the Clovis Roundup community newspaper.
In her role at Gymnastics Beat, Golden oversees the organization’s recreation, tumbling, and gymnastics programs. A competitive gymnast herself from a young age, Golden coaches and mentors youth—mostly young women—and organizes class offerings and schedules, writes and manages coaching plans, and engages with parents and supporters.
In her role at the Clovis Roundup, she reports, writes, and produces stories for the newspaper, including news, features, and reviews. Golden says most of her stories are intended “to help my community shine.”
Golden graduated from Fresno State in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. As an English major, she specialized in fiction writing.
While she admits that sometimes “it’s strange to think that I have a part-time job in writing, and my full-time job is a whole other thing,” Golden says both her jobs have fully immersed her in the community.
Meet Samantha:
This video was filmed by Jefferson Beavers and edited by Celeste Jones for Fresno State’s College of Arts and Humanities.
If you’re a Fresno State English alumni and you have an inspiring career story that you’d like to share, please submit this short “Share Your Success Stories” form or contact Jefferson Beavers at jbeavers@mail.fresnostate.edu or 559.278.1569.
By Jefferson Beavers, Communication Specialist, Department of English
Editor’s note: This story is the second installment of the video series “English Majors Out in the World,” highlighting English Department alumni who’ve taken unexpected career paths while translating their academic success into community success.
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 
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