From the classroom to the field: CoMC graduates share how sports shaped their careers and how students can get involved today
National Girls and Women in Sports Day recognizes the achievements of women and girls
in athletics, highlights the power of sports to build confidence and community, and
encourages future generations to pursue careers in sports and media. At Texas Tech
University’s College of Media & Communication (CoMC), the day honors alumni who have
built careers in sports and continue to break barriers in the industry.
For Nejahla Hopkins, sports have always been about community. A Texas Tech graduate
with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and political science and a master’s
in mass communication and media studies, Hopkins said she was inspired to pursue a
career in sports because of the way athletics bring people together. “Sports bring
people together regardless of background, upbringing, race, gender or identity,” she
said. “My passion for community, love of sports and personal connection to their unifying
power led me to pursue a career in community relations and corporate social responsibility
within sports.” She offered advice to women who want to work in sports: “Don’t let
anyone convince you that a job with a major professional sports organization is out
of reach,” and “be intentional about creating spaces for belonging.”
For Faith Douglass, the path from student to professional sports reporter began the
moment she stepped onto campus. Douglass, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in
journalism and a certificate in sports media, said the College of Media and Communication
shaped her career by providing real-world opportunities through RaiderVision, Texas
Tech Athletics’ in-house broadcast production team; MCTV, the college’s student-run
television station; and a sports reporting internship with KCBD, an NBC-affiliated
television station serving the Lubbock area. “CoMC gave me opportunities that helped
turn my passion into a profession,” she said.
During her senior semester in fall 2022, Douglass was selected to write for the Kansas
City Chiefs after being recommended by professor Jody Roginson and completing a competitive
vetting process. She began contributing weekly articles to Chiefs.com while finishing
her degree, working remotely after graduating in December 2022. Douglass continued
writing for the organization throughout the 2022–23 season as the Chiefs went on to
win the Super Bowl LVII in February 2023, and she said she was honored to receive
a Super Bowl ring alongside the organization’s staff. After earning her degree in
December 2022, she began her professional career as a sports reporter with KLBK, a
CBS-affiliated television station serving the Lubbock area. Douglass said mentors
at CoMC “challenged me, connected me to opportunities and continue to be trusted sounding
boards as my career evolves.”
Like Douglass, Emily Jones found her love of sports early, a Texas Tech graduate with
a bachelor’s degree in journalism, said her love of sports began at home watching
games with her father and sister. She said she always knew she wanted a career that
combined sports and television. “The relationships,” she said when asked what has
been most rewarding about her career. Jones now works as a sports reporter for the
Texas Rangers Baseball Club. Her advice to women entering sports is simple: “Be patiently
persistent. Don’t try to fit into anyone’s mold. Make your own.” She said CoMC instructors
Bill Dean and the late Robert Wernsman helped shape her career and professional development.
For students interested in sports media, CoMC offers several ways to get involved and gain real-world experience. Student-run organizations such as MCTV and Raider Vision provide training in sports broadcasting, reporting and production, while KTXT-FM The Raider 88 offers opportunities in audio storytelling, sports commentary and live event coverage. Whether students are interested in writing, reporting, production or public relations, the College of Media & Communication offers platforms that help students build experience and prepare for careers in sports media.
