As the Coachella Valley prepares for the holiday season, the NBC Palm Springs community bid a warm, temporary farewell to one of its most inspiring voices. Amaya D’Souza, a Palm Desert High School senior and Desert Town Hall junior ambassador, joined Fred Rogan for her final community report of 2025 before embarking on a family trip to India.
Amaya shared a heartwarming personal anecdote from a recent trip to Trader Joe’s, where an employee recognized her from her segments on "The Rogan Report." The employee expressed that watching Amaya’s work had "renewed her faith in high school students." For Amaya, the encounter underscored her mission as a community reporter: to provide a counter-narrative to the often negative media portrayals of teenagers and to highlight the positive impact of her generation.
In her final report of the year, Amaya spotlighted the incredible physical feat of three of her peers: James Riviere, Cash Tompoles, and Harrison McDaniel. Over the Thanksgiving break, the three Palm Desert seniors successfully completed the Cactus to Clouds hike. Starting on the desert floor and ending at the peak of Mt. San Jacinto, the trail is widely considered the most difficult day hike in the United States due to its grueling 10,000-foot elevation gain.
Amaya noted that the boys didn't tackle the mountain for fame or accolades, but simply "for fun" and to cross it off their bucket lists. Fred Rogan praised Amaya’s growth as a journalist and her ability to find "bright light" stories that showcase the resilience and spirit of the valley’s youth.
By: NBC Palm Springs
December 18, 2025
