Seizing Opportunity

Senior communication major Garrett Short’s impressive resume — and know-how — lands him his first-choice internship at KBJR 6, an NBC station in Duluth, Minn.

No one at Indiana State University should be surprised when senior Garrett Short’s name appears in Indiana Statesman sports articles. Or his voice is heard on WZIS. Or if they spot his handiwork while watching ESPN3.

And this summer, Short expanded his fan base when he left campus for an internship with KBJR 6, an NBC station in Duluth, Minn., along Lake Superior.

“I was scouring the internet for places with internships and found Quincy Media, which owns the Duluth station,” Short said. “A city of 80,000 people, Duluth, Minn., is relatively small compared to Denver or Seattle but big enough to provide a great experience.”

The Duluth station was Short’s first choice when applying for a paid internship, so he was thrilled when he was contacted by KBJR 6. He made an eight-hour-plus trek to the station in January for an interview that secured the position, which he started at the end of May.

“It gave me just over two months to learn and get involved in every aspect of the station I could, which was mainly shooting games at the start,” said Short, who is a communication major with a concentration in media studies. “I received a lot of help from my superiors and people who work there, but within a few days I was eager to get out on my own show them that I can do everything they need me to.”

For Short, that meant shooting highlights for games, writing scripts, conducting interviews and any other tasks he was called to do.

“The hands-on experiences with Indiana State’s Student Mediaradio station, TV station and newspaper were put to the test at my internship, because I would even go out and do stories on my own, bring them back and brainstorm ideas with the team about things we could air,” he said. “What I learned was my professors were right when they say that writing is really important. It wasn’t until I actually got in a professional setting and had to apply it that I really understood why they hammer us so hard on our writing.”

This career choice was a no-brainer for a sports enthusiast like Short. It was just a matter of finding where he fit best.

“I have always loved sports and played three sports year-round since I was 12 years old,” he said. “So, I wanted to go into sports medicine when I was younger until I realized that I share my mother’s inability to not be nauseous at the sight of blood. After losing a lot of blood during an injury my senior year of high school, I was lucky to have been enrolled in a broadcasting class and decided that broadcasting would keep me close to sports and would be interesting.”

Short started his college broadcasting career at Indiana State’s radio station, WZIS, doing a host of on-air work, as well as writing and editing. He is in his third year as a writer for The Indiana Statesman and also works for ESPN3.

His dedication to journalism hasn’t gone unnoticed, given the accolades he’s accumulated in his time at State. Earlier this year, Short earned the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters first place award for Radio Sportscast, and he co-earned second place for Radio Sports Event Broadcast. He was also co-recipient of the Best Sports Pre/Post Game Show this year from Intercollegiate Broadcasting System.

“Since I was a sports intern, I have a lot of knowledge now with equipment and editing,” Short said. “I also had a previous internship with a radio station near my hometown, so I went into my internship this summer with a good foundation.”

Short chose Indiana State for its close proximity to his roots in Beecher, Ill., and because campus felt like home. It’s a sentiment that has only grown stronger in four years, as he was opened up to a plethora of opportunities to fine-tune his skills for the workplace.

“Even though it has changed a lot in that four years, I think (Indiana State’s) campus is even better now as I’ve watched it grow — and I don’t only mean in the number of students,” he said. “As the campus gets better and better, Indiana State has also added new programs like ESPN3. I definitely wouldn’t change my decision to come here.”

Short also joined Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society his senior year, while increasing his involvement with Sycamore Video.

“Student Media offers students a lot of opportunities for hands-on learning and to learn something new,” he said. “You will make mistakes, but you get the opportunity to get back on-air, behind the camera, and try again.”

Garett Short
Major: Communication
Hometown: Beecher, IL