Multiple internships, communications coursework and Spring Hill College’s Badger TV channel experience helped graduate Breanne Bizette get her first reporting job at WFAB-TV after her senior year ended unexpectedly in 2020.
“My senior year was cut short, and I never got to finish my last semester on campus,” Bizette said. Despite COVID-19 setbacks, Bizette‘s education at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., prepared her for the job offer she received even before she completed her degree.
“Spring Hill College gave me the role models and the tools I needed to succeed in the broadcast field of journalism,” Bizette said. “Without the constant guidance from my professors and the support of my classmates, I would not be where I am today.”
Now, more students than ever may benefit from a Spring Hill degree. The College in September announced a tuition reduction, cutting these costs by nearly 50 percent starting in the fall of 2021, helping to make a Jesuit, liberal arts education possible for more students across the country.
Bizette graduated with a degree in communications arts with a concentration in journalism. Today, working in broadcast media means being well-versed in writing, editing and video skills, which Bizette honed at Spring Hill.
“My professors knew what I needed to succeed, and every day I am very thankful for their advice,” she said.
“Learning how to shoot video and edit in Ryan Noble’s class were some very valuable lessons for me,” Bizette said. Dr. Stuart Babington, Chairperson of the Division of Communication, Visual and Performing Arts at Spring Hill, and associate professor Dr. Christina Kotchemidova enforced using active voice in her writing, she said.
Spring Hill College’s longstanding Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, meaning care for the whole person, still impacts Bizette on the job.
“Whenever I am doing a story, I have to remember ‘mind, body and soul,'” she said. “I am a writer because I love to write about people and what may affect their lives.”
Balancing schoolwork while serving in leadership positions on The Hill taught Bizette to delegate, she said. In 2019, she took part in Spring Hill’s International Service Immersion Program in Punta Gorda, Belize.
Bizette picked up real-world work experience on and off-campus. With Spring Hill’s Badger TV, she was a Weather reporter, Around the Town anchor, chief anchor and producer. She contributed written articles to Spring Hill’s school paper, The Springhillian. Three news internships also helped Bizette learn the ropes of television news: WDSU Channel 6 in New Orleans, La., where she produced and co-hosted the intern’s broadcast; WPMI Channel 15 in Mobile, Ala., where she wrote for several shows; and current employer WAFB Channel 9 News, where she produced multiple stories.
“Without my internships, I definitely would not have been as prepared,” she said. “They gave me the experiences that I needed and showed me how much of a passion I have for journalism.”
Bizette’s long-term career goal is to be a great reporter who can tell a story in multiple ways while touching the hearts of viewers, and eventually anchor, she said.
Her advice for current Spring Hill College students: “Take every advantage that Spring Hill has to offer. Savor every moment in class, listen to your professors, enjoy time with friends, and don’t be afraid to take risks and ask for help. Spring Hill has a major support system, and your professors and friends will be there for you ’till the end of time.”
This article is part of the “Real World Ready” series about outstanding Spring Hill College students, alumni, faculty and administrators. www.shc.edu/rwr
Media Contact:
Office of Marketing & Communications
news@shc.edu