Name: Veronika Quispe
Degree Earned and Year Graduated: Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts in 2018
Job Title/Company: Associate Editor at ESPN
How has FIU helped you get to where you are today in your career?: My degree is owed 100% to Dr. Raquel Perez. She taught me the skills necessary to handle conflict and relationships both professionally and personally. I stand out in conversations solely because of her lessons.
What path did you take to attain your current career? I started to work for the Miami Herald when I was 18 years old as a high school sports clerk. I learned invaluable skills in one of the country’s most prestigious local newspapers. Under the guidance of Alex Mena, fellow FIU grad, I was able to achieve all the goals I set for myself while also improving as a professional. I continued to fall deeper in love with sports each day and decided the next step would be the Worldwide Leader in Sports – ESPN.
What’s been the coolest thing about your job so far?: It’s amazing getting to know all the behind the scenes work that takes to put on not only an iconic network, but now a website, as we come up with innovative ideas to deliver sports to millions of fans each day. Nevertheless, I would be lying if I said I still don’t internally ‘fangirl’ every time I run into someone famous at the cafeteria or the halls.
What does a typical day for you look like?: My job is to deliver content to fans all over the world. We discuss with editors to identify the best way to showcase stories, videos, and images throughout our website and set up alerts for subscribers.
How does your job connect back to your coursework?: Communication is extremely important in media or any other industry. So, while talking to editors or people from different departments, I remember the skills I learned in some of the classes I took throughout my time at FIU.
Were there any classes or professors that influenced where you are today? All the communication arts students should take every single class Dr. Perez has to offer at FIU. I also loved the classes that professors Lynne Webb and Antoine Hardy taught.
What advice do you have for students interested in a career in Communication Arts?: The media industry is tough, only do it if you absolutely love it. And for women reading this, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself to break every barrier set in front of you. It’ll never be easy but it’ll be important.
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