Sophie began college as a double major in dance and business. After taking her first Journalism 101 course, though, she was hooked. She graduated with a double major in Journalism and Broadcasting with minors in economics, national security studies, political science and a concentration in Arabic.
With an education like that, Sophie was a perfect fit for the news world. She currently works as a digital producer at CNN Politics in Washington, D.C., handling political content for digital platforms. This includes everything from programming the politics homepage to cutting video to managing social media accounts, as well as writing and reporting.
"Working at CNN during the entirety of the 2016 election was pretty exciting to say the least, but working on election night was definitely something I’ll never forget."
The future of broadcasting is ever changing, and Sophie believes it's vital to find different methods to reach audiences. Platforms like Snapchat and Facebook Live will be used alongside traditional mediums, like nightly newscasts.
In college, Mary Kay Quinlan and Jerry Renaud were two people who helped guide Sophie's interests in political journalism and TV news. She had a number of internships that helped propel her into her current career, too. She worked with WLS radio in Chicago, KFOR in Lincoln and CNN in New York and Washington, D.C.
In Lincoln, she took interest in writing for the student-ran Daily Nebraskan, hosting a radio show on the college's station, KRNU and reporting on the legislature for the Nebraska News Service. She thinks that all of these are excellent ways for students to gain experience outside of the classroom.
"It’s virtually impossible to plan the future, so be open to different opportunities. If things don’t work out exactly the way you thought they would, it doesn’t mean you failed."