Ocala, FL

Telecomm – Production, Spring 2016

Why did you choose UF and the College of Journalism and Communications?

I’ve had my eyes set on going to UF since middle school. There’s no other school I really considered. My parents always pushed me to go to the best schools academically and everybody knew UF is the best in the state and one of the best in the country. As far as choosing the CJC, I was just very fortunate to start college when I did. The INC was all brand new during my freshman year. I knew that if I worked hard enough, the CJC would give me incredible opportunities not many schools can offer.

Do you have a memorable experience/opportunity from your time in the CJC?

As Florida Gators Softball beat reporter for WUFT News and ESPN Gainesville, I was given the opportunity to fly out to Oklahoma City to cover UF’s second national title run at the NCAA Women’s College World Series. I reported live from OKC on WUFT’s First at Five newscast multiple times and I appeared on ESPN Gainesville radio every day during my trip. I got to ask questions to players and coaches and my voice was broadcasted live on ESPN channels. My flight, hotel, and rental car were all paid for so all I had to worry about was covering the team to the best my ability. I can’t imagine there are many other schools in the country that would’ve made this experience possible for a student like me.

What is the best class you’ve taken in the CJC?

Tim Sorel’s Adobe After Effects class was incredible. It was by far the most challenging, yet, most rewarding class I’ve ever taken. I spent over 40 hours on a project that was only two minutes long and it was so worth it. I highly recommend the class for any video production junkies.

Is there anything that makes CJC Sports special?

The people are what make the CJC so special. I’ve met some of my best friends through Weimer Hall and have created relationships that will last a lifetime. The faculty and news managers genuinely care about you here. My sports director Steve Russell has said countless times that nothing makes him happier than to see his students get jobs. To know I have somebody like him in my corner is incredible.

Tell us about your experiences outside of the classroom?

Through the CJC, I’ve covered high school football, college soccer, college softball, college basketball, and college football. I’ve covered the 2015 SEC Football Championship game and the NCAA Women’s College World Series. I’ve done live shots in Orlando, Atlanta, and Oklahoma City. Looking back, I’m very fortunate to have so many opportunities from working my way up in the CJC.

How involved are you?

I’ve been involved with WUFT, ESPN Gainesville, GatorVision, and I’m the President of UF Sports Media Society. It’s so important to involve yourself in as many entities as possible so you can learn how all aspects of the telecom industry work together. You also become a more marketable and valuable job candidate by knowing how to both appear on camera while also knowing how to work the camera.

What are your hopes, dreams, or plans after graduation?

I’ve recently fallen in love with social media so I’ve applied to a few social media opportunities with some professional teams. But I also love reporting and anchoring so I’m not quite sure where I’m going to end up yet.

Do you have any advice for incoming students or those interested in the CJC, especially in regard to starting their sports careers?

Get involved right away and always say yes to opportunities. I think students often get turned off when they’re asked to do seemingly insignificant jobs… such as cover a high school sporting event or be a grip for a volleyball game. I started at WUFT as a cameraman… perhaps the easiest job in production. But as a cameraman, I got to see how talent presented themselves on camera – I was shadowing sports anchors without them even knowing it. I worked my way up from a cameraman to a floor director and eventually, I was a sports anchor myself.  I covered so many high school football games before I got to cover my first Florida Gators football game. You have to be willing to start at the bottom and work your way up in order to gain the trust and respect of those around you.

What do you wish you had known sooner?

For on-camera people: I wish I would’ve treated every on-camera opportunity like it was going on my reel. I just made my reel and I found that I didn’t like a lot of my live shots because I didn’t take them as seriously as I should’ve. I wish I would’ve learned how to do my makeup earlier in college (trust me, it makes a difference!), I wish I would’ve ironed my shirts more… I wish I would’ve changed an angle of a particular stand-up. Treat every live shot, anchoring opportunity, and stand-up like it’s most important thing that your future manager is going to see.

Anything else you would like to share? The University of Florida gives you an incredible platform to build your brand. Through the opportunities from the CJC, I went from a student nobody knew to a recognizable UF football beat reporter. I went from 300 Twitter followers to over 1300 Twitter followers in less than a year. Fake it till you make it! In other words, work extremely hard and somebody will notice you. Act like a professional and you’ll become a professional.

J