By Haley Tenore

For Alexis Washington, the spirit of competition – and the pressure of deadlines – are shaping a college experience that brings together her passions.

At Virginia Commonwealth University, the rising senior is minoring in sports management – she grew up playing soccer, has a basketball coach as a brother and a Dallas Cowboys fanatic as a father, and she is assistant sports editor at The Commonwealth Times student newspaper. And through her major – mass communications with a concentration in broadcast journalism in the Robertson School of Media and Culture – she is well on her way to establishing a career path: Washington has participated in notable internships that will propel her into the field after graduating in May.

Last summer, she worked as a production intern at WAVY 10, the NBC television affiliate near her hometown in Hampton Roads. And this summer, here in Richmond, Washington is a 12 On Your Side news intern with NBC station WWBT. She received support from VCU’s Internship Funding Program, which offers scholarships that help students defray the expenses associated with summer internships.

That means she must be at work by 3:30 a.m.  – and sometimes “survive off of three hours of sleep,” she said – to jump into a demanding environment.

“I go early, and we get our assignments in the morning,” Washington said. “I’m just using this experience to help me work up into sports, because sports is a competitive field. So, you have to be around that environment with tight deadlines, because you’re shooting stories and you have to turn them in within a couple of hours.”

Washington found both summer internships through the Virginia Association of Broadcasters. Her experience at WAVY was more focused on the production side, including floor directing and operating the teleprompter.

“It’s different, but it’s rewarding at the same time,” Washington said of such behind-the-scenes work. “It’s fascinating to see how everybody is working together to produce the show.”

One of the most challenging aspects was adjusting to pitch meetings and keeping up with the nonstop news cycle.

“That was the hardest thing, being in those pitch meetings. You have to show up and have a story ready for the producers, because that’s the show. If you have no story, then there’s no show. And the producers base their show on what the reporters pitch. So, it’s a hustle,” Washington said. “It’s different because in school, you have, like, two weeks to turn the story. In news, you have three hours.”

During the past school year, she served as president of the VCU chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. She also used to work as a campus tour guide, but she has learned to prioritize around her primary goals.

“So, it just becomes, what is most important? Where can I get the best experience if I want to work in sports? ” she said. “It’s OK not to be involved in everything.”

In the fall, Washington will further burnish her credentials. She will work as a marketing intern with VCU Athletics, bringing together her passion for sports and communications with an eye toward a rewarding career.