What did you study at Otterbein?

I am a 2021 graduate with a B.A. in Journalism & Media Communications, as well as Studio Art with a photography concentration.

Where are you now? Tell me about your job duties? What is a typical day on the job or in the studio like?

I am now working as a Master Control Operator for Sinclair Broadcast Group. We handle ABC6, FOX28, and the CW Columbus, as well as 5 other stations in other states. I also do freelance photo and video work on the side, including freelancing for the Columbus Blue Jackets’s video production team.

As a Master Control Operator my duties include receiving programming and commercials, checking to make sure they are ready to be played on air, reviewing and revising station playlists, ensuring programming and commercials are being played at the right time, and rolling local breaks during live programs.

A typical workday is usually pretty relaxed. Each day you are either assigned to receive, review, and prep programming or you are assigned to run a group of stations, whether that be 4 ABC stations, 3 FOX stations, or 2 CW stations. Although it is a technical job and things can and do go wrong, each role has specific things that need to be done each day and on each shift, so it is actually very ritualistic, which I enjoy.

How did Otterbein, and/or the Art Department, help prepare you for your job? How did your education help you succeed?

Overall, Otterbein really helped set me in the right direction when it came to my career because my aspirations changed a lot from the time I started college. It helped me to find new passions, new ways to express myself, and meet professors that would become great mentors and professional references – a few of which actually helped get me my job!

The Art Department helped to foster my love for videography, especially because the Communications Department ended a large portion of their videography program my freshman year. However, taking Video Art classes helped me to continue creating video and developing my technical skills.

I could not imagine being where I am today without my education. I had almost no experience in television broadcast, but I believe that attributes I gained during my time at Otterbein are ones that helped me get this job. I having an eagerness to learn, I am goal-driven, and I give 110% to everything that I do. Those attributes are what got me through college and got me my degree.