Communiqué
WOUB Senior Spotlight: Ayden Crowley
< < Back toBy Kae Walther
ATHENS, OH – Ayden Crowley, a journalism news and information major, hopes to land a job as a local television sports anchor when he graduates in May and says he’s confident he’ll be able to do that because of WOUB Public Media.
“WOUB has been fundamental for my growth in journalism. I was able to get real world experience quickly with a team that was constantly supportive,” said Crowley. “When I stepped into my internship this past summer at FOX19 in Cincinnati, I felt like I was a step ahead of the other interns because of my time with WOUB.”
Crowley grew up in Mason, Ohio and chose Ohio University because of the reputation of its journalism program.
“Ohio University made the most sense for me because it was close to home while also providing an amazing journalism program. It was the best of both worlds, and I am extremely happy with my choice,” said Crowley. “I learned about WOUB from a high school friend that was a year ahead of me. I was able to get into contact with leadership at WOUB quickly because of this and immediately jumped into sports at WOUB.”
For the last two years, Crowley has served as WOUB’s sports director. In that role, he has reported for Bobcat Showcase, WOUB’s online program that covers Ohio University athletics, Gridiron Glory, WOUB’s high school football program, Hardwood Heroes, WOUB’s high school basketball program and has been a sports anchor for WOUB’s nightly half-hour news program, NewsWatch.
Crowley has also taken advantage of the support offered by alumni who worked at WOUB when they were students. He participated in the WOUB Mentoring Program and was paired with alumni working in the industry, like Chicago Bulls Radio Play-by-Play Announcer Chuck Swirsky ’76. He also attended WOUB Wednesdays, a bi-weekly professional development opportunity where students can interact virtually with alumni and ask them questions about their careers.
“I went to a number of WOUB Wednesdays that were very informative and a great networking opportunity. I was able to gain a better insight into what the journalism world looks like because of the conversations with experienced people in the industry,” said Crowley. “The conversations with my mentors were important because I was able to network with industry professionals that provided feedback on my work to set me up for success.”
Next week, Crowley will participate in the WOUB Job Connection Program interviews, where media recruiters from five different companies come to campus to interview students for full-time jobs. Because of the program, over the last two years, 90% of WOUB students looking for positions in media had job offers before graduation.
“I am very confident about my next steps in my career because of the time I spent with WOUB.”