Student Program

“I took the KEOM broadcasting class in high school during my 2007-2008 senior year and interned the following summer. Looking back, I'm shocked at how special of an opportunity we all had working with such patient and incredible teachers. We practiced writing traffic and weather reports, cultivated a broadcast voice and learned how to properly time out the music blocks. All of that perfectly prepared me for my career in television news. I have worked as an anchor, reporter and producer in various news markets and now I'm back home in Dallas-Fort Worth working as a morning show reporter for NBC 5. It all started with KEOM. I will forever be grateful to them for giving me the hands-on experience I needed to achieve my dreams."

“Although I was a student at KEOM for a short time, it opened the door for me to find my passion for journalism. I was a senior and wasn’t sure what path I should take. Once I started the program, I knew it was the right industry for me. I also interned at the station before going off to college at the University of North Texas. All of the tools I learned at KEOM gave me a huge advantage as a freshman in college. I will forever cherish the lessons, memories, and relationships I have made with the wonderful staff. I’m currently an Associate Producer for the Dallas Stars and I work in-studio and in the field as a high school reporter at FOX Sports Southwest. Being a student at KEOM gave me the fundamental skills and confidence needed to go after my career goals.” 

"I was a student D.J. at KEOM during my senior year of high school.  I loved the class and how much I got to learn about the radio industry and the hands-on experience.  I had fun!  I knew I was going to be in the broadcast/media industry since I was 16 years old, so being part of this program was a step in the right direction.  Currently, I’m a Producer at FOX 4 in Dallas.  Prior to being a Producer, I was an Assistant Producer, I’ve been a fill-in producer at FOX 4 for the 4 a.m., 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 9 a.m., noon, and Good Day Saturday/Sunday Newscasts.  Before FOX, I shadowed at the Denton Record-Chronicle, interned at the U. S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C, promotions assistant at Cumulus Media in Dallas, became the first media intern for the Dallas Police Department, morning TV news producer/fill-in anchor in Amarillo at KAMR and TV news reporter/MMJ at KAMR."

“My three years in the KEOM program opened my eyes and unlocked the door to the exciting world of broadcasting and communications. My experience at KEOM earned me the position of Assistant News Director at the student radio station at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Since then, I have moved further into the news industry - and I am now an award-winning news editor in Dallas. I credit my entire upbringing to the amazing staff and teachers at KEOM, and I highly recommend the program to any student who wants to take on a different kind of challenge and serve their community in a special way.”

“KEOM provided the tools for me to become confident in my writing and editing skills as well as my conversation techniques to establish a career in sports communications. Whether it’s writing a press release, interviewing college student-athletes for a feature on our platforms or pulling together copy for our social media, there is something I do each day at my job in public relations at the NCAA that I can credit back to learning through my experience at KEOM.”

"As a little kid, I knew I wanted to be in the radio business and when the opportunity arose to learn at KEOM, I jumped at it. There is no doubt that my time at KEOM gave me the intangibles to sustain a long career in the radio business as an on-air host. After nearly 20 years, I left the radio business to start my own voiceover company but had I not taken the steps to get into KEOM in the first place, I would not be where I am today." 

“KEOM was the seed that sprouted a budding career for me. I branched out into my college station at 88.1 then to iHeart Media, TTWN and even helped me develop a voice that got me to 430,000 subscribers on YouTube. If I hadn't started it all at KEOM, I have no idea where I would be.”

“I have been blessed with many amazing opportunities in my 13 years in this industry. On the radio side, I have been in front of the microphone for over 1000 high school and college events, including five high school state championship games and numerous collegiate conference championship games and events. I have had the opportunity while I was in college to be mentored by and work alongside Texas Radio Hall of Famer Bill Mercer, longtime voice of the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and the University of North Texas, among others. On the television side, I am the play-by-play announcer on ESPN for the Blue-Grey Football All-American Bowls, annual high school football games that are played in NFL stadiums and feature some of the best high school football recruits in the country. But my journey to those big cities and amazing venues started in Mesquite, Texas. Being the sports intern at KEOM my senior year of high school gave me a chance to hone my skills as an on air personality in a safe environment and allowed me to learn the technical aspects of the industry. Getting the chance to work alongside Mesquite ISD Athletics Hall of Honor inductees Steve Glenn and Ed Johnson has been incredibly beneficial to my evolution as a play-by-play voice and seeing their professionalism and passion for sports broadcasting has played a major part in the success I've experienced in the radio and television industry."

“KEOM is where I found my voice, the voice I have used to make myself heard in the sea of white noise and I chose to participate in the KEOM program because I wanted to do something different, and challenging. Something that wasn't just an after school activity, but that made a difference in my community and taught me both technical and interpersonal skills that I would not have learned elsewhere in High School.”

"KEOM was an amazing experience that definitely gave me a leg up and insight into the communications world. I chose the program as an opportunity to gain some real world experience in a field that would have great transferrable skills no matter what path I chose-- plus it seemed like a lot of fun. KEOM delivered on all of that and more. I would recommend the experience to anyone interested in public speaking and production. Overall the program is so much more than an extra curricular activity; it prepares you for the next step after high school in more ways than one and is a great investment in your future."

Being accepted into the KEOM class during my senior year changed my life. I had just quit football and was looking for something just as exciting to do. Throughout my childhood I had always been interested in radio broadcasting. The KEOM class was the best choice that I could have ever made. Upon entering college I was well prepared because of the KEOM class and instructors. I completed my associates degree in Radio and TV Broadcasting from Tyler Junior College. I'm finishing my senior year at Texas Southern University with a major in Journalism. I strongly recommend that other students that are interested in this field give this program a try.

"I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the KEOM program during high school. Being a student DJ was such a unique opportunity not only to understand the operations of a radio station and gain perspective on the radio-television-film industry, but to find my voice and inner confidence through mass communication. It was by far one of my fondest high school activities and provided a foundation for my college and professional experiences since then. I so appreciate the KEOM team for the fun environment and hands on education provided. For any Mesquite students considering the program – I strongly recommend applying. You won’t regret it and you’ll proudly reminisce upon your time there in years to come…just as I have."