Last week I saw posts circulating on Twitter from some of my favorite women sports reporters about how they were thanking ten women in sports journalism for various reasons.
While I cannot say that I have met ten women in this industry thus far, I hope and know I will meet many in the future. For now, there are without a doubt women that have made an impact on me and given me so much encouragement, drive, and inspiration in sports journalism, so I would like to extend a thank you to some of them.
Allison Williams...
I was a sophomore in high school the first time I met Allison at the Cotton Bowl. I remember watching Allison give her postgame interview and marveling at the great work she was doing. After that, I got to speak with Allison and, of course, got a picture. She was so kind and generous. It was all a whirlwind, and then Allison asked if I wanted to hold her microphone in the picture, which was absolutely surreal to me. THE ESPN microphone that I have grown up watching sportscasters hold and have one day hoped to hold myself! While I know sports journalism is most definitely about the storytelling and the reporting, which is what I love about it, the microphone is an iconic symbol to me. The picture was amazing, too. There had been confetti flying around from the postgame celebration, which ended up in the photo. Bucky Badger popped into the back and struck a pose, and without a doubt, the best part was the microphone and the great smiles Allison and I had! If I ever needed a sign that this was the career for me and what I needed to pursue, I felt like this was it! I remember being so happy and thankful to have met such an incredible woman in sports journalism! I always look back at that picture and it is a great reminder of my end goal. One day I hope to be able to hold an ESPN microphone again. The next time, it will hopefully be my own!
The next time I met Allison was recently at a University of Wisconsin-Madison football game this year! I remember approaching her and her sweetness to me was still there as much as before! Now that I am a bit older, I was paying closer attention to her technique on the sidelines and taking mental notes myself. She is without a doubt someone I look up to, personally and in sports journalism.
THANK YOU, ALLISON!!
Olivia Harlan Dekker...
I have only met Olivia once at a University of Wisconsin-Madison football game, but she is married to Sam Dekker, the well-known former UW-Madison basketball player. Olivia was great to converse with and asked me some questions about myself. It was very nice to have a sports reporter take an interest in me rather than me only asking questions. I also love Olivia's sense of style and how she incorporates it into her broadcasting career, too. I, like her, have a passion for fashion and sports! Seeing how quickly and successfully Olivia has been able to climb the ranks is incredible and something I can look up to. Olivia is another wonderful guiding force in this industry!
THANK YOU, OLIVIA!!
Kaylee Hartung...
While I no longer live in Louisiana, that is where my heart is! I love the state and it will forever and always be such a special place. Kaylee is a Louisiana native. When Kaylee was working for ESPN I was always impressed with her professionalism and technique. It was great to see someone like her from Louisiana in the position I hope to one day be in. Now, she works with ABC, and I still love watching her! Kaylee, your work ethic and performance are a great inspiration to me!
THANK YOU, KAYLEE!
Laura Okmin...
While I recently became aware of her boot camp, GALvanize Life, which I hope to soon attend, Laura has always been a leading force in the industry. She is wonderful at promoting empowerment instead of competition. When I recently joined Twitter, I followed her and was so excited when I saw that she followed me back! While it may seem ridiculous to get excited over a follow, making connections in this business are very important and I was happy and grateful to see someone like her take notice! This is an example of how she is so supportive of other women. She followed a hopeful sports reporter like me who is a Twitter newbie because she practices what she preaches! As Laura's website says, "Girls compete. Women empower."
THANK YOU, LAURA!
REFLECTION
This was not completed for a specific client but just for my own personal portfolio. The audience is simply for these women who have inspired me. The objective of this work is to showcase the talents of these women and how they have influenced me in my own career, so in a way it is to inform people of their excellent work.
I wrote this article by myself on November 13, 2019. I used my laptop and social media, like Instagram and Twitter to promote my piece. I learned that connections can grow out of small works of reflection, like this one.
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