Jaylon Thompson, a senior majoring in digital and broadcast journalism, is living out his dream of earning his degree and sports media certificate from Grady College along with a minor in sociology. His hard work paid off with the opportunity to cover the Olympics in Rio. His goal is to inspire others to follow their dreams.
“I have two favorite professors in Vicki Michaelis and Welch Suggs,” Thompson wrote in his profile. “Both have helped me tremendously to get better as a journalist and I wouldn’t know where I would be without them. I truly grew under their guidance and they are the one of the many reasons I am standing here today. I am eternally grateful and I have so much love for them!”
Thompson has completed sports internships at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Houston Chronicle, the latter of which stemmed from his selection to the Sports Journalism Institute Class of 2015. He is co-editor of UGA Elite, a platform for all writers on campus to grow and receive feedback. He also has worked for the Red & Black and participated in Grady Newsource.
Following graduation, Thompson hopes to work as a beat reporter for a professional sports team at a newspaper, eventually aspiring to become a sports analyst for ESPN.
“As I wind down my college career, each award from being a 2016 McGill Fellow to becoming an Olympic journalist has taught me that I can make my dreams come true,” he wrote. “It also helped me realize that my life is truly meant to inspire and I hope to continue that in the future.”
Read more about Thompson here.