Reporter. Storyteller. Sports Journalist.

Greetings!

I am Alyssa Cooper, a senior broadcast journalism student at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. I am passionate about telling stories, especially those related to sports, through multiple mediums. I aspire to be a sportswriter and multimedia journalist for college baseball and Major League Baseball.

I discovered my passion for baseball in the eighth grade and decided to pursue sports journalism during my senior year of high school. I hit the ground running as soon as I stepped onto the Highest of Seven Hills in Fall 2022, getting involved first with FAMU TV 20 News at Five.

I volunteered as a camera operator during the Monday and Wednesday newscasts, observing the professionalism and prowess of my upperclassmen peers as they anchored and produced news, entertainment, and sports. In the spring, I applied to be a part of The FAMUAN, the student-run newspaper and received my first assignment as the beat reporter for the SGA Senate.

Over the summer, I auditioned for the newscasts and landed roles as a server operator, live shot reporter, and associate producer. On the print side, I was promoted to news editor, where I could continue honing my writing skills while gaining copywriting and editing skills and mentoring new writers.  

As an associate producer, I gained broadcast writing and editing skills with Adobe Creative Cloud and Final Cut Pro. As a live-shot reporter, I learned to get comfortable in front of the camera while delivering pertinent, timely news live. 

Following my second year at Florida A&M, I moved over to sports at The FAMUAN as the sports editor, where I could pursue my passion for covering FAMU athletics full-time while continuing to nurture young writers. I was named the sports anchor for TV 20 News at Five during the Fall 2024 semester, where I gained invaluable experience in pitching, covering, editing and writing newsworthy and engaging sports stories for the twice-weekly newscasts on deadline.

Outside of FAMU, I am an active member of the FAMU chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. In 2023, I had the honor of being a part of the 2023 NABJ Student Projects Cohort, where I, along with two dozen other college students, covered the convention in Birmingham, Alabama and the election of NABJ president Ken Lemon. 

The following spring, I spent my spring break at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University as a member of the 2024 NABJ Multimedia Short Course, furthering my skills in news production and judgment while creating a live newscast with my peers.

This past fall, I attended the Online News Association conference in Atlanta, Georgia as a member of the HBCU Cohort, where I could network with media professionals and gain meaningful connections. 

This summer, I will be interning with the Fort-Worth Star Telegram as a sports intern, gaining hands-on experience in covering sports in one of the biggest markets in the country.

Outside of my education, I enjoy watching college baseball and the MLB while listening to podcasts related to baseball and sports media. Additionally, I have my YouTube channel called The Rubber Match, where I post weekly content giving my thoughts on teams and news surrounding college baseball.

I am driven by my love for baseball and the desire to tell stories from unique perspectives. Sports have an undeniable ability to bring people together in times of good and bad while bringing out important conversations. As I prepare to enter the professional workforce, I am committed to continuing to build on my skills and embracing new challenges en route to creating impactful stories. 

Through multiple mediums, I aspire to continue to exude enthusiasm and passion with expertise while practicing ethical reporting. Thank you for taking the time to learn about me—feel free to explore my portfolio and connect with me to discuss my work or opportunities in sports journalism!