In Studio, On Air, and In Action.
On the night of the 2018 mid-term elections in November, Emma Quinn ’19 was at the Vermont Democratic Party headquarters in Burlington, interviewing gubernatorial candidate Christine Hallquist. The Democrat lost the election after making U.S. history as the first openly transgender major-party nominee for governor, and Emma was there to report the breaking news.
The interview with Hallquist aired on NVU-Lyndon’s Emmy award-winning, student-run News7 TV station on campus. Emma, a broadcast and digital journalism major, also covers local government meetings, interviews town officials, and reports stories about agriculture, K-12 education, and other topics.
“I would not have gotten nearly as much real-life experience if I had gone to another school,” says Emma, who chose NVU partly because of the opportunities she would have working at News7, which covers many towns and broadcasts live five nights a week.
News7 Campus Station Prepares Students for Careers
“You get out into the community and do exciting things,” she says. “Other schools’ newsrooms are usually part of a club that you don’t have to do. For us, it’s part of our curriculum. It’s our practicum. How the Lyndon newsroom is run compared to other schools is what really sets the broadcast program apart.”
The broad range of skills Emma has gained reporting, producing and web-producing shows, and anchoring newscasts will set her apart in the job market after she graduates. “It gives me the ability to apply for more than just one position,” she says. “The hands-on experience I’ve gained at News7 is so valuable to have on my resume.”
Emma interned as an assistant to assignment editors at NBC-affiliate WJAR-TV in Cranston, Rhode Island. “Going into that internship, I had so much experience and knew so much” because of her work at News7, says Emma, of Douglas, Massachusetts.
One-on-One Relationships with Professors
NVU’s friendly campus was another reason Emma chose Lyndon. “I really like Lyndon because it’s a small campus, you know everyone’s face and name,” she says. “I like the community and comradery.”
The small classes make it easier for students to get one-on-one faculty attention. “The faculty here is very approachable,” Emma says. “All my professors know who I am and which class of theirs I’m in. I really can create more of a personal relationship with them.”
An Alumni Network That Opens Up Potential Job Opportunities
NVU-Lyndon students develop relationships with the tight-knit group of alumni of the broadcast and digital journalism program.
The broadcast alumni speaker series brings graduates to campus to discuss their careers. Broadcast reporters and producers give students tips and teach them practical skills such as how to search public records. The strong alumni network also offers potential career possibilities.
“The broadcast and digital journalism alumni, in particular, are a very close group,” says Emma who secured a position at KBJR-TV 6 in Duluth, Minnesota, after graduation. “Being able to say I’m from NVU, they automatically know the quality of work I’m capable of doing. It gives me an extra foot in the door. The alumni know what it’s like to be at News7…They’re very open to helping others with their careers.”
