By Izabela Zaluska
AJ Reisetter, a second-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has a goal of being a play-by-play announcer for a major sports company, like ESPN or Fox Sports. Reisetter is majoring in journalism with a minor in sports and recreation management.
Reisetter has taken advantage of various opportunities within the School of Journalism and Mass Communication to get closer to his dream, including the Daily Iowan, working with Fox Sports when Big Noon Kickoff came to campus last year, and networking with Iowa alumni. He also works for B1G+ Student U and the Iowa Heartlanders.
Iowa journalism students had the opportunity to network with three prominent figures in the sports media industry — Iowa alumni Mark Shapiro and Kimmi Chex, as well as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith — and helped produce a live broadcast of ESPN’S “First Take,” which was recorded in the Adler Journalism Building TV studio in October.
“Talking with all three of those people in that same day opened my eyes,” said Reisetter, who hosts “Meet the Hawkeye” with Daily Iowan TV. “It is possible to out of college to go after some of those bigger jobs that I do dream of having. I don't need to wait four or five years to apply.”
Students helped with the production of “First Take,” which was a great hands-on experience, said Melissa Tully, professor and director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Students were also featured in the show’s opening shot as they stood behind Smith.
Tully added how students were proud of their ability to help with the production.
"The show wasn't just being run by professional staff — it was student staff,” Tully said. “That's really essential to how we operate here, both in the journalism school and the Daily Iowan. It's the students who are creating the content, doing the work, and getting that hands-on opportunity.”
Students getting real-world experience is critical, Tully said, because it means they already have professional experience when they’re applying for jobs after graduation. It also shows students what’s possible after graduation.
"When people hire our students as interns or entry-level employees, they see that they come with that level of experience, and they're ready from day one,” Tully added.
Students also met with both Shapiro and Smith to talk about careers in sports media, and with the NFL Network’s Chex during a Q&A and lunch discussion.
Campbell Wood, a second-year student majoring in journalism and mass communication, met with Shapiro when he was on campus. Wood is also the recipient of Shapiro’s four-year journalism scholarship.
"It was just cool to see how far you can go with a journalism degree,” Wood said about her conversation with Shapiro. She said both Shapiro and Smith were excited to meet with the students, offer advice, and hear their ideas.
"Something that stuck out to me was their enthusiasm and the energy they carried,” Wood said about the visit. “You could tell the passion they had for what they were doing.”
Tully said it’s important for students to know these types of opportunities are available at Iowa.
“This happens here,” Tully said. “These are the type of opportunities you would have if you came to Iowa. It shows students that there are opportunities right at their doorstep, and I think that’s powerful.”
Photos taken by Ayrton Breckenridge of The Daily Iowan
