As a new full-time multimedia journalist, Emily Andrews covers many topics in the Cape Fear region from breaking news to local politics to the arts. One of her favorite assignments so far was a tribute piece to a North Carolina teen whose dreams to become a published author were made possible by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Andrews, a UNCW Class of 2023 Communication Studies graduate, got her foot in the door at local television station WWAY through a summer internship she started at the urging of Jeff Rivenbark, who teaches UNCW communications studies classes and anchors WWAY’s nightly news.
“I took multimedia journalism with Jeff, and he told me I was good at scriptwriting and encouraged me to pursue the internship,” recalled Andrews.
Quickly making her mark, Andrews accepted a full-time job offer from the station during her senior year and spent her final semester juggling the high demands of the job and her studies.
“It was stressful but rewarding;” she said. “Even though it was a lot on my plate, my mentality was, ‘three months from now, I'm going to look back and think it was worth it.’ That is where I am now, and it is so refreshing.”
Andrews was honored with a Department of Communication Studies Distinction in Journalism award, and she credits several faculty members for being difference-makers during her college experience.
“David Pernell’s ‘Media Law and Ethics’ class has been most useful to me, and I want him to know he makes a difference in his students’ lives,” she said. “Jeff Rivenbark showed me that I did have the potential to explore broadcast journalism – I didn’t think I had it. If you had told me a year ago that I would be in TV, I would have said ‘no way.’ And lastly, English assistant professor Josh Roiland showed me how a newsroom works and made me fall in love with journalism in his ‘Introduction to Journalism’ class my freshman year. I know I can count on him to help me with anything.”
As she looks toward the future, Andrews is excited about her potential for professional and personal growth as she shares the stories of her community.
"It’s cliché to say, but really anything you put your mind to, you can do it! That has always been my mentality. The sky is the limit – as long as I am willing to pursue it, then it is there for me."
To follow Andrew’s reporting, visit the WWAY website.
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