In November, College alum and sports media veteran Zeke Ouellette (C’18) visited campus to put the focus on life behind the camera. The Career Spotlight and Q&A, sponsored by the Career Center, shone a light on Ouellette’s young but distinguished career in television sports production.
Currently Associate Producer of the English Premier League at NBC Sports, Ouellette has experience producing for major events including the Paris Olympics. Prior to working at NBC, he spent five years at ESPN, contributing to iconic programs such as ESPN FC, EURO 2020, Formula 1, and SportsCenter.
Discussing how Principia College contributed to his standout career path, Ouellette said, “At Principia, I got involved with journalism, PCTV, all the student boards—and I really tried to figure out how to translate that passion into a career.”
It was when he applied his on-campus experience to a real-world internship that everything fell into place. “I felt very lucky because, as part of the credit for my mass comm degree, I interned at a local station in Baltimore in the Sports department, working behind the scenes . . . I got to wear multiple hats and try out different roles. It reminded me of Principia, actually!”
The event spoke to the importance of Principia’s Career Center and the value it provides. Speaking to the audience of Mass Comm majors and media aspirants, Ouellette was asked his advice for students just entering the fast-paced Mass Comm job market. Ouellette says, network, network, network. “Always talk to people—don't be afraid to reach out,” he advised. “Alumni were a great source for me to get my start. And secondly, just do as much as you can wherever you are at the time. When I was here at Principia, I was editing the Pilot, doing PCTV for two semesters, and taking full advantage of my Mass Communication classes. Any chance that I had to build up a demo reel or enhance my resume was something that I took seriously, and that helped me get my foot in the door.”
And now as an alum himself, Ouellette has a wide network to share with a new wave of Principia College graduates.
Learn more about Zeke Ouellette here.