Katie Siegle ’22, sports media and journalism, was a notable student leader during her time at the University of Rhode Island. As a longtime sports fan, Siegle knew she wanted to study sports media. Today, she works as a public relations content creator for the Worcester Red Sox while pursuing a master’s in sports media at Emerson College.
Why did you choose to study at URI?
I have Harrington to credit for me choosing URI. I was really drawn to the communications program. Ranger Hall was also up-and-coming, which I thought was cool. Particularly I was drawn to the sports media program because that was created when I was a freshman. When that started, I knew immediately that’s what I wanted to do. As somebody who wanted to go into sports after school, I was really drawn to that. I think that ended up coming to fruition when I did graduate. I changed my major as soon as I could, and I ended up becoming a sports media and journalism double major.
What made you choose to study your majors?
I was drawn to my majors because I knew I wanted to do something that involved working with other people, and communications is the broadest major for working with other people. Being able to use skills to become a more eloquent speaker, talk with all kinds of people, or read the room really drew me to communication specifically.
I came into journalism somewhat later because I didn’t think I wanted to be a writer. When I was in the sports media program, I was like, “Well, maybe I do want to do that.” So I ended up adding the journalism major, and it worked out great.
Harrington is great because a lot of the majors interact with one another. You can be any major, and you’re doing similar things. It’s all part of one school.
How did you know you wanted to go into the sports industry?
I have always been a sports fan, and my family is all sports fans. It was awesome to grow up learning more about sports just by watching them and watching the media portion of it without even being aware of it. I saw all of these sideline reporters, or desk commentators, or announcers, and that’s something that really drew me to the industry. I knew that that could be a career for somebody like me that is so into sports and wants to make a life out of it. I think making a living out of something I like is the coolest part about being able to say that I’m working in sports.
How do you use the skills you learned while you were at URI today?
The very first thing that came to my mind was learning how to write a basic news story. I can’t even tell you how many times knowing how to write a basic news story has helped me out in my current role. People think, “Oh, whatever, I can do it,” but there’s actually so much that’s going on behind the scenes.
All of the journalism classes that I’ve taken have translated into something that I’m now doing in the field, which is very cool. I’m starting out in the media space, using the skills I’ve learned from Harrington. Knowing how to interview someone that’s something that I learned from basic news story writing. A lot of people don’t know how to get the information they want. I learned hands-on skills that translate to the field from Harrington and even the Anchor Sports Network and the Good Five Cent Cigar.
Describe your favorite memory from your time as a student.
One of the things I really liked most about URI, and something that comes to my mind when I think about my time there, are all of the organizations I was a part of and how I was able to meet so many different people. It was just a cool way for me to feel included in my community and feel really accepted by other people who are also interested in things that I want.
One of the memories that sticks out to me is the first time I saw my name in the print version of the Cigar. There is so much work that goes into that, and it really came together, and it looked good. People read the Cigar all over Rhode Island, so it was awesome to see my name in print for the first time.
What one piece of advice would you give Harrington students who are preparing to enter the workforce?
I have two big ones. Get involved because that’s how you meet people and feel comfortable. As I mentioned before, I was involved in a lot of different URI groups, like Student Senate, field hockey, the Cigar, Anchor Sports Network, WRIU, you name it. That let me meet all different kinds of people and get all these different experiences and fill up my resume. That’s something that people might not take seriously until it’s time to graduate. The more you do, the more you have to talk about, and if you’re more interesting, that might give you an edge over somebody else.
The other one is, to take networking seriously. That’s how I got my current job. If there’s a networking event, take it seriously. Don’t just show up and have the free food. You’re going to want to meet as many people as you can. This is serious. It’s never too early to start thinking about your career.