STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Mass Comm student participates in 2024 Summer Olympics
By: Sanghia Shallcross, Contributor
September 27, 2024
As the saying goes “the early bird gets the worm” and this proves true for Xavier sophomore Zora Thomas, who had the privilege of interning for NBC at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and is currently interning at NFL Films for the 2024 fall semester. Thomas attributes her participation in the programs to her colleagues, who alerted her about the unique opportunities.
“It was due to my classmate reaching out to me and telling me about it and then I just applied,” she explained on how she learned about the programs. “So, that’s why I think it’s always very important to make sure that you’re close to your classmates.”
Whether it be faculty or fellow students, networking is a common theme in Thomas’ success. She stresses the importance of informing your classmates of your goals and strengths in the hopes that when opportunity arises, they will think of you.
Thomas believes others also witnessed her drive recalling how often she was the only one to cover campus sports regularly. The mass communication student credits two major facotrs in her achievements: her ability to work independently and take initiative. Thomas remembers when she she decided to broadcast the Xavier volleyball games without any prompting. She created a YouTube channel and was surprised and validated when many people thanked her for creating the channel. She was able to provide access to the games for relatives and friends of players who were unable to attend games in person. Thomas simply saw a void and filled it.
Although Thomas would say she’s independent, no one goes at it alone. She resonates with the known phrase “it takes a village”.
“During my interview process, the fabulous Ms. Monica Pierre really helped me! I felt like my first rounds didn’t go well, and she helped me focus on the most important parts of myself to bring forward in the interview,” Thomas said. “Ever since then, I have bullet points to practice and always have fun tidbits about myself. I feel less nervous when I do interviews now. So far, it’s been working for me.”
Thomas’ has a few top take-aways from NBC over the summer she will always remember. Her first was being able to witness the Olympics firsthand. A die-hard volleyball fan, she was able to watch both USA men’s and women’s volleyball matches. She also walked away with a new appreciation for water polo. Another huge take-away from her time at NBC was the close look into the sports industry.
“I saw so many production rooms, control rooms. I learned about operations and how they get things steaming on social media and the effort it takes to pull off-record level engagement,” she exclaimed.
But Thomas believes one of her best takeaways was being able to connect with fellow Xavierite Alexa Green. The two realized they have a ton in common, and Green helped Thomas transition to NFL films in New Jersey. Now, the two meet regularly on the east coast.
Lastly, Thomas said the experience from the programs gives her an in-depth understanding of what goes into broadcasting such a significant event, and she values being able to participate at such a young age. Additionally, the access to more editing and software allowed her to further develop her storytelling skills than she had access to before. She encourages all students to apply to various programs as the benefits are immeasurable.
