While at Towson, did you have an internship?
"Yes. I interned at Fox 45 the summer after my sophomore year. I was in the newsroom helping with the morning show. I was there at 4 a.m. to turn on the lights. I learned how local news works, shadowed reporters and wrote blocks of script for the teleprompter. I learned a lot, made a lot of mistakes, and I’m better now because of it.
I had another internship at 60 Minutes in the Scott Pelley unit. It was an incredible experience. I took classes two days a week and interned in Washington, D.C., three days a week, working 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. I loved it. I did a lot of the spade work for a 9/11 anniversary piece. I helped the producer by creating a video to pitch the story to 60 Minutes Executive Editor Bill Owens, a Towson alumnus. I learned so much on the go and everyone there was so patient."
So you were president of Towson’s television station, WMJF-TV?
"Yes. It was so much fun! I was president of the TV station, and before that I was treasurer. I made sure to get input from everyone on staff. I listened to what they needed and did my best. I was a reporter and anchor a couple of times, too. But I learned that I was a ‘behind-the-scenes’ kind of guy. I loved the ‘boring’ things, like balancing the budget.
Not enough people know about WMJF-TV. Because of the transition from analog to digital TV, the community couldn’t receive WMJF-TV. With the help of the executive board, we pioneered the station’s online presence. The mass communication students helped to put it on the Web, and film students helped to format footage for online."
What skills did you acquire while at Towson that you are finding most helpful now?
"Sometimes people say that the skills you learn in school don't really matter
and that you learn all the important stuff on the job. I’m still learning, but
without this education, I would not be able to do what I do today. Towson taught
me a lot – blogging, web coding, photography, video, how to be professional,
good grammar. The teachers here know what they’re doing."
How did you get your current job writing for Patch?
"I got an email from my professor and adviser, Stacy Spaulding. She
invited me to a lunch with the Aging Newspaper Men’s Club, a group of
former reporters for the Baltimore Sun. They get together and talk about
what journalism and the newspaper industry used to be like. One of the
members, Rafael Alvarez, was writing a book and asked me to edit a
chapter and interview a source. After that, he put me in touch with the
regional editor of Patch."
What are your plans for the future?
"I love my job right now working as an editor for Patch. I have an excuse to
learn about the lives of other people. It fits my personality, because I can
sometimes be introverted, but in the moment I feel very comfortable meeting
strangers and asking them personal questions. In the future, I want to be a
producer. I want to take on challenging stories and meet people. I'm curious
about the world, and I want to learn how it all works."
Tuition & Financial Aid
Majors & Academic Life
Contact Us
8000 York Road | Towson, MD 21252 | 410-704-2000
