MUSD Alumni Profile: Maria Guardado, Class of 2010
As the San Francisco Giants beat writer for MLB.com, Milpitas High School Class of 2010 alumna Maria Guardado has conversed with the likes of Brandon Crawford and Buster Posey.
“I write breaking news, game recaps, features, trend pieces and more on the Giants, providing daily coverage throughout the regular season, offseason and Spring Training,” said the 29-year-old professional journalist.
Guardado’s journey to landing a gig with Major League Baseball started in Milpitas at Weller Elementary School, Thomas Russell Middle School and MHS. Guardado then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in History from Yale University.
“I feel fortunate to have spent my most formative years in MUSD schools, which not only provided the foundation of my education, but also exposed me to a multicultural environment that valued diversity and placed no limitations on my ambitions,” Guardado said.
Some of her fondest memories were competing on the MHS track and field team, as well as attending science camp in Santa Cruz during elementary school.
“Over the years, my teachers helped me become an avid reader, develop as a writer and stoke my curiosity, skills that have served me well as a professional journalist,” she shared.
One MUSD educator who inspired her the most was AP Spanish teacher Sra. Maria Vargas, “who saw my potential and went out of her way to connect me with people she thought would help me succeed.”
“I’m also indebted to Dena Lindstrom Chavez, who encouraged me to apply to the Princeton University Summer Journalism Program, a 10-day seminar that became my gateway into journalism,” Guardado added.
While she is living out a dream that many Bay Area baseball enthusiasts share, Guardado still treasures her adolescent years at MUSD and directs younger generations to do the same: ”Don’t be in a rush to grow up. You spend most of your life as an adult, but youth is a precious, fleeting experience.”