After receiving a C on a journalism assignment in her Reporting Words class in 2013, she knew she was capable of more. She vowed to work as hard as she needed to become the best reporter. In May, nine years after she graduated from Moody College of Communication, investigative reporter Cassandra Jaramillo won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for her reporting with colleagues at ProPublica on the “Life of the Mother” series. 

“When we were going to get recognized by the Pulitzer Prizes, that was a life-changing moment for me as a journalist and as an immigrant,” Jaramillo said. “That feeling was just surreal, and it was just [that my work] mattered. It was the highest honor that I could ever dream of receiving.”

“Life of the Mother” focuses on how abortion bans resulting from the overturning of Roe v. Wade led to preventable deaths in Texas and other states. Jaramillo said since the surgical procedure for miscarriages and abortion are the same, multiple women have lost their lives because the treatment they needed is no longer constitutionally protected. These treatments are crucial for many women, not just those who want an abortion but those who need it due to their pregnancy complications. 

“When people go to the doctor or go to an emergency room, they assume that those folks are going to do everything possible to keep them alive,” Jaramillo said. “But so many families didn’t really understand the severe consequences that these laws obviously had on women’s health care.” 

While Jaramillo said she has a passion for journalism, she did not always know she wanted to pursue this career. When starting college, she only knew that she loved writing. She participated in multiple organizations around campus including Communication Council, The Daily Texan, Texas Student Television and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. She also worked at the Moody Writing Support Program as a student writing coach.

“[I tried] to just take advantage of all those opportunities,” Jaramillo said. “Being a UT student helped me get on a path to doing that because I was able to get these experiences.” 

Jaramillo became fascinated with investigative journalism and reporting on deeper stories. After talking with Associate Professor Diana Dawson her senior year, she joined The Daily Texan and was able to work on emotional and relevant stories, such as the on-campus murder of Haruka Weiser. While Dawson never had Jaramillo in class and only worked with her at the writing support program, she said Jaramillo has a “work ethic of titanium.”

“As a reporter I’d say she’s as tenacious as a bulldog, but she’s as disarmingly charming as a toy poodle, and so the combination serves her,” Dawson said. “She is not going to let anyone mislead her or not answer questions. She will nip at their heels like that tenacious bulldog, as long as it takes to get an answer, and she is pure spitfire and determined.” 

One of the professors Jaramillo has stayed in touch with is Associate Professor Robert Quigley. Quigley said Jaramillo always wanted to improve her skills, whether she was coming in during office hours to talk about Reporting Words or shooting an email from the Dallas Morning News after graduation.

“I guarantee you she inspires about 100% of the room,” Quigley said. “Everybody watching her is going to just feel that kind of personality that she has, the drive that she has and the love of storytelling that she clearly has.”

Jaramillo’s drive shone through as she overcame multiple obstacles while reporting on “Life of a Mother” — from her demanding work responsibilities to her father’s cancer journey. Jaramillo said the key to keeping herself on track during stressful times was making sure she slept the correct amount of hours and finding a way to relieve her stress, which for her came through running. She also credits the sources who worked with her on the stories. 

Jaramillo said she never expected the responses she received about the series. Over 100 OBGYNs in Texas came together to sign a petition against abortion laws, and public figures like Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris both reacted to the story. Lawmakers did as well.

“I felt more than anything that the more that people were responding, at least it was bringing the names of these women to the forefront of the discussion around these restrictive policies,” Jaramillo said. “That is why we become journalists, to show how policy affects people, and so it was in some ways overwhelming but also encouraging to see that people cared.”

For now, Jaramillo plans to continue reporting on reproductive rights. This year, she has been looking into how state committees that investigate pregnancy-related deaths are being affected by budget cuts and the federal government. 

“Journalism can change the world,” Jaramillo said. “Not to be cliche, but it really can…. Seeing the impact that the reporting had on the state lawmakers for me was just as meaningful, as a Texan, as winning the Pulitzer Prize.”