I remember being 16-years-old and thinking that I had finally found my one true calling: sports talk radio. I was fortunate enough to attend a high school with its own radio station, so being able to tell myself that I was one of the only high school students across the nation hosting his/her own sports radio show made me feel unique. I drove home after my first show, hugged my parents and told them “this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
But, I was 16. Just like most kids (and people, in general), our dreams and aspirations frequently change. I had my first experience with this as I began studying at Marquette University, where I was pursuing a degree in journalism and digital media. I was exposed to Marquette’s television program “MUTV,” where I immediately fell in love with the camera. I saw the then-seniors of the program delivering the latest sports content to come out of Marquette Athletics, and I knew, I had found my new calling. I called my parents that night and told them “this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
But, I was 18 (maybe you’re sensing a pattern?). Don’t get me wrong, I loved my time developing as an aspiring sports anchor with MUTV Sports. I became a lot more comfortable in front of the camera and tremendously improved my video editing skills (in fact, I had never edited video prior to coming to college). And I only got better as the months and years went by, but a mid-March trip to New York City in 2020 changed everything.
That time of reference will now be something future generations learn about in the history books years, but yes, this happened to be around the time when Covid-19 was (for the first time) spreading rapidly across the United States. I was with one of my colleagues (at the time) in Times Square when we got the report that the Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament (the event we were sent to cover) had been cancelled. After talking to several citizens and tourists within Times Square for a news report, we were able to catch a plane ride that same night back to our homes in Milwaukee.
As the other professional/collegiate programs began to shut down over the next few days, I began to think about my future. Will I ever report on sports during my college career again? Am I going to be in a good spot as we embark on this unprecedented journey? What do I do next? As the first month of the pandemic rolled by, I decided that it was time for me to make another career change.
I joined Marquette Athletics as a Digital Content Producer. I began exploring so many different possibilities within the digital media field, possibilities that I would have never been exposed to had I not made this career switch. I improved my videography skills immensely, developed my talents within social media and feature content (covering student-athletes and coaches during their games and behind the scenes) and sharpened my video editing skills even more than before (Adobe After Effects was not easy to learn). I even began to grow within graphic design and Adobe Photoshop (despite our university never offering any classes covering it).
This dive into the (previously) unknown eventually lead me to my first job out of college. As the Social Content Specialist at Learfield, I learned how to work with our clients/partners, building and maintaining personal and professional relationships, allowing me to create sponsored content in a more creative way than my company had ever been able to. Not too long afterwards, an opportunity within Syracuse Athletics was made available and I became its newest Producer/Videographer, a position I hold to this day. While I create content for all of our athletic programs, I work most closely with Syracuse Football, Women's Basketball and Women's Lacrosse.
So, is “this what I want to do for the rest of my life?” I mean, for now it is. My life has been a constant roller coaster, filled with ups, downs, twists and turns. But, I like to think that this is all part of a bigger journey that I’m on (just like all of us). I wouldn’t be shocked to see myself make a career change within digital media again sometime in the distant future, but I’ll always embrace it. I think change is something truly special for all of us as people because it helps shape us into better versions of ourselves. So, I don’t know where my next adventure will take me, but I do know that whenever and wherever that is, I’ll be ready for it.
But, I was 16. Just like most kids (and people, in general), our dreams and aspirations frequently change. I had my first experience with this as I began studying at Marquette University, where I was pursuing a degree in journalism and digital media. I was exposed to Marquette’s television program “MUTV,” where I immediately fell in love with the camera. I saw the then-seniors of the program delivering the latest sports content to come out of Marquette Athletics, and I knew, I had found my new calling. I called my parents that night and told them “this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
But, I was 18 (maybe you’re sensing a pattern?). Don’t get me wrong, I loved my time developing as an aspiring sports anchor with MUTV Sports. I became a lot more comfortable in front of the camera and tremendously improved my video editing skills (in fact, I had never edited video prior to coming to college). And I only got better as the months and years went by, but a mid-March trip to New York City in 2020 changed everything.
That time of reference will now be something future generations learn about in the history books years, but yes, this happened to be around the time when Covid-19 was (for the first time) spreading rapidly across the United States. I was with one of my colleagues (at the time) in Times Square when we got the report that the Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament (the event we were sent to cover) had been cancelled. After talking to several citizens and tourists within Times Square for a news report, we were able to catch a plane ride that same night back to our homes in Milwaukee.
As the other professional/collegiate programs began to shut down over the next few days, I began to think about my future. Will I ever report on sports during my college career again? Am I going to be in a good spot as we embark on this unprecedented journey? What do I do next? As the first month of the pandemic rolled by, I decided that it was time for me to make another career change.
I joined Marquette Athletics as a Digital Content Producer. I began exploring so many different possibilities within the digital media field, possibilities that I would have never been exposed to had I not made this career switch. I improved my videography skills immensely, developed my talents within social media and feature content (covering student-athletes and coaches during their games and behind the scenes) and sharpened my video editing skills even more than before (Adobe After Effects was not easy to learn). I even began to grow within graphic design and Adobe Photoshop (despite our university never offering any classes covering it).
This dive into the (previously) unknown eventually lead me to my first job out of college. As the Social Content Specialist at Learfield, I learned how to work with our clients/partners, building and maintaining personal and professional relationships, allowing me to create sponsored content in a more creative way than my company had ever been able to. Not too long afterwards, an opportunity within Syracuse Athletics was made available and I became its newest Producer/Videographer, a position I hold to this day. While I create content for all of our athletic programs, I work most closely with Syracuse Football, Women's Basketball and Women's Lacrosse.
So, is “this what I want to do for the rest of my life?” I mean, for now it is. My life has been a constant roller coaster, filled with ups, downs, twists and turns. But, I like to think that this is all part of a bigger journey that I’m on (just like all of us). I wouldn’t be shocked to see myself make a career change within digital media again sometime in the distant future, but I’ll always embrace it. I think change is something truly special for all of us as people because it helps shape us into better versions of ourselves. So, I don’t know where my next adventure will take me, but I do know that whenever and wherever that is, I’ll be ready for it.