Samuel Pollmann
Santee
Summary
Journalism student with hands-on experience in writing, editing, and photography. As Editor-in-Chief, I managed a team to produce a monthly magazine and earned awards for excellence in photography and publication. A strong collaborator dedicated to quality storytelling and effective media production.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Barista
Kaffee Meister
Santee
02.2025 - Current
- Experience in making espresso drinks with a La Marzocco manual espresso machine.
- Experience using an espresso grinder and manually weighing, tamping, and pulling espresso shots.
- Worked on making breakfast and lunch items and maintaining diligent food safety standards.
- Served customers coffee and food items.
- Responsible for stocking and upkeep of the kitchen and fridge storage.
- Responsible for keeping the storefront clean and orderly.
- Experience in customer service and operation of the Clover point of sale system.
Editor-in-Chief
The Summit at Grossmont College
El Cajon
02.2026 - 06.2026
- I managed the production of a monthly print magazine during my last semester at Grossmont College.
- I worked with a team of 11 other writers and my professor throughout the production process, from runlisting to distribution.
- While copyediting and writing stories of my own, I also photographed for other writers and designed our print stories.
Staff Writer
The Summit at Grossmont College
El Cajon
08.2025 - 12.2025
- As a Staff Writer for The Summit, the campus newspaper at Grossmont College, I wrote, edited, and photographed as part of a four-person writing team that published both online and in print.
- Our four-person team won an award for Best Student Publication at the 2025 San Diego Press Club Awards, and my photos for the story "The Comeback Season" won an award for Best Photo Series, Community College at the 2026 California College Media Association Awards.
Kitchen Assistant
Kaffee Meister
Santee
11.2022 - 08.2023
- I worked on making breakfast and lunch items and maintaining diligent food safety standards.
- Served customers coffee and food items.
- Responsible for stocking and upkeep of the kitchen and fridge storage.
- Responsible for keeping the storefront clean and orderly.
- Responsible for keeping air vents and other machinery clear of dust and contamination.
- Experience in customer service and operation of the Square Point of Sale system.
- Experience in steaming milk on a manual espresso machine.
- Experience assembling all drinks, excluding manual espresso grinding and tamping.
Barista
Mercury's Coffee Co.
Redmond
03.2022 - 09.2022
- I worked in a very customer-experience-oriented environment where a positive customer experience was as important as the quality of the coffee.
- We saw many regulars and knew their orders by heart.
- They came to the stand for good conversation as much as they came for the coffee.
- Speed and efficiency were skills we encouraged each other to improve on as we worked, even while keeping up with customers.
- I was given a lot of responsibility while in charge of locking up the store, preparing cash deposit bags, and managing cash drawers.
- Learning how to adapt when milk fridges caught fire and when two stores needed extra hands in one day were just a few of my many encounters with managing stress and handling logistical problems in the workplace.
Crew Member
McDonald's
06.2021 - 10.2021
- Opened store daily, prepared stations for efficient operation.
- Stocked stations in the morning before operating hours.
- Took orders and payment for drive-thru.
- Coordinated operations of the drive-thru line during peak hours.
- I also learned how to operate the fryer and made both fries and drinks for the drive-thru.
- Trained new employees on opening procedures and front-end stations (orders, register, presenting).
Education
Journalism Major -
San Diego State University
San Diego06-2028
AA-T - Journalism for Transfer
Grossmont College
El Cajon06-2026
GED -
GED.com
Seattle, Washington06-2021
High School -
Huntington Beach High School
Huntington Beach05-2019
Skills
- Content creation
- Photography
- Media Production
- Reporting
- Copy editing
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Lightroom
- Page layout
- Team collaboration
- Attention to detail
- Leadership
Accomplishments
- Best Magazine, College - Print, First Place, 2025 San Diego Press Club Excellence In Journalism Awards
- Best Photo Series, Community College, First Place, 2025 California College Media Awards
- Best Newspaper, Community College, Third Place, 2025 California College Media Awards
Timeline
Editor-in-Chief
The Summit at Grossmont College
02.2026 - 06.2026
Staff Writer
The Summit at Grossmont College
08.2025 - 12.2025
Barista
Kaffee Meister
02.2025 - Current
Kitchen Assistant
Kaffee Meister
11.2022 - 08.2023
Barista
Mercury's Coffee Co.
03.2022 - 09.2022
Crew Member
McDonald's
06.2021 - 10.2021
Journalism Major -
San Diego State University
AA-T - Journalism for Transfer
Grossmont College
GED -
GED.com
High School -
Huntington Beach High School