N.C. A&T alum Kamryn Jackson turned her love for playing volleyball in high school to becoming a full-time sports reporter for Gannett.
Born and raised in Bowie, Maryland, Jackson discovered her passion for journalism in high school from watching shows like First Take and Undisputed.
She came to A&T in Aug. 2020 to pursue a degree in multimedia journalism.
While her dream was to be on camera, she began writing at The A&T Register her sophomore year as a contributor.
“I actually really liked writing so much so that I kind of forgot that I initially wanted to do it on camera,” Jackson said.
Her new-found passion encouraged her to apply for her dream program with ESPN’s Rhoden Fellow Initiative. While denied her sophomore year, she applied again and became a Class of 2024 fellow, where she grew as a journalist.
“The Rhoden Fellowship definitely influenced me the most as a writer mainly because I was working with Mr. Roden,” she said. “That was the first time I really got to work hand-in-hand with editors so it was really helpful.”
Led by New York Times award-winning columnist, William C. Rhoden, the yearlong training program is designed to train undergraduate HBCU students interested in sports journalism.
Alongside her fellowship, Jackson was heavily involved on campus. She served as the Managing Editor for The A&T Register and the President for the campus chapter of Associated Press Sports Editors.
After graduation, she began interning as a sports intern in May 2024 at Knoxville News Sentinel in Nashville, Tennessee. Now Jackson is a reporter for The Greenville News sports desk in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.
Jackson describes the transition from writing for a college audience to a local community.
“You have a lot more eyes on your work,” she said. “There are people reading it and they will email you and complain. You really do have to put a lot of attention into your work and just treat it with a lot of care.”
As a new reporter in town, Jackson’s goal is to continue to build authentic relationships with coaches, players and people in the community. Although, as she continues to build a rapport, she found that making connections while still being professional may be hard to navigate.
“I wanna build relationships with the coaches. I want them to think highly of me,” Jackson said. “I want them to think they could come to me with stories, but you know I also have to keep in mind that there may be a time where I have to write a story they don’t like.”
Jackson shares advice for Aggies looking to seek a career in journalism.
“Join the A&T Register. I honestly I would not have got my internship with the Rhoden Fellowship unless I had clips with the register,” she said. “And don’t let somebody tell you the same thing more than two times, When people are giving you l criticism actually listen and apply it.”
She also advises students to build connections with professors and to continue perfecting their craft.