Major: Journalism and Spanish
Years at IU: 2008 – 2012
What she did at IU: I was very active in student media during my years in Bloomington. I worked for Indiana University Student Television for all four years of my undergrad, eventually serving as sports director my senior year. I helped launch IUSportCom, a site ahead of its time that focused on converging all forms of media – writing, podcasting, video, etc. – in one place. I did a number of live broadcasts with Big Ten Student U and worked with Inside Indiana/247 Sports covering men’s basketball and football. The summer going into my senior year, I had an internship with Fox 59 in Indianapolis.
What she does now: I currently work for ESPN’s NFL Nation as its Minnesota Vikings beat reporter. My previous role was at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports reporter, where I covered the Warriors, Raiders, 49ers and plethora of other teas in the Bay Area. Before that, I spent my first few years out of college at The Clarion-Ledger covering everything from high school sports and recruiting to SEC football.
What advice she has for sports media students: Don’t be afraid to take an internship after you’ve graduated. It’s becoming more common for budding journalists to have to complete an internship or two before landing a “real” job. That was the case for me, and I’m grateful for it. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my postgraduate internship in digital communications at the NCAA my first year out of college. It afforded me an opportunity to sharpen my skills as a storyteller before accepting my first full-time position.
And on that note, be willing to move wherever you need to for a job. Chances are you won’t start off in the city you hope to eventually put down roots. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would spent three of the best years of my life in Jackson, Mississippi, but I took a chance when an incredible opportunity came my way and never looked back. It led me to career and life experiences in both the Bay Area and Minneapolis — two places I had never visited until I moved for a job. That’s the way it works in this business. You’ll live in unexpected places, meet people whose paths would normally never intersect with yours, have life-changing experiences and be better for it.