9/20 - 11am - First Weekend at WBBJ

Three and a half years ago I began producing short weather forecast videos for my new Louisville, KY weather website. Two days ago, I began my first job as a weather forecaster at WBBJ ABC 7 in Jackson, TN. I'm still in shock that it only took three and a half years to get where I am now. Needless to say, I'm the youngest on-air talent at WBBJ right now at 19 years old. I can't believe this is happening!

My first show took place on Saturday at around 10:30pm. There was a football game on ABC that ran late, so our 10pm show was delayed. It was a decent first broadcast and I'm happy that I was able to pull it off! You can watch some of that broadcast below:



On Sunday at 5:30pm, I went on for my second broadcast at ABC 7. This newscast was better than the first because I grew accustomed to the logistics of the studio and the weather graphics system. Unfortunately I could not record this newscast like I did for the Saturday show, but luckily WBBJ posted a short clip of the weather segment on their website. You can view that clip below:



I'll be back next weekend to fill-in for more newscasts at WBBJ before I start my normal Saturday morning shift at the station on October 2nd. I want to thank all the behind-the-scenes and on-air staff at WBBJ for welcoming me so warmly and helping me out during this first weekend. The people at this station have to be some of the nicest in the business and I'm so lucky that I get to start my career with them. As always, the Mississippi State meteorology department needs to be acknowledged for their efforts in helping me become a better weather forecaster and a better broadcaster. They're role in helping me get this job has been crucial in so many ways. I can't say enough that MSU is the absolute best broadcast meteorology school in the Southeast. This isn't just because the department produces some great meteorologists, but because they are willing and able to help students get a foothold in the industry after (and sometimes before!) graduation. I'm looking forward to my next two and a half years at MSU as I continue to learn and grow in the field of meteorology.

As if the WBBJ ABC 7 job wasn't enough, I should have some more "big news" by the end of the week. Lots of great stuff going on! I'll be back on Tuesday with my next MSU CampusConnect forecast here on the blog.