2017 School of Communication Alumnus Ryan Yorgen Lands Dream Job with PensTV Alumni Profile
Meet Ryan Yorgen
- Job Title & Employer
- Producer, PensTV, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Major/Program
- Broadcast Reporting
- Graduation
- December 2017
- College Activities
- U-View
- Hometown
- Pittsburgh, Pa.
- High School
- North Allegheny High School
- Now Living In
- Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Hobbies & Interests
- Movies, music and art
"Point Park has been instrumental in leading me to land my dream job. Everyone who is a part of the School of Communication was committed to helping me reach my goals."
What steps did you take to secure a position as a producer with PensTV?
My journey to joining the Penguins organization started by attending Point Park University. My high school, North Allegheny, had a small production studio that sparked my love of video production. When the time came to go to college, I wanted to attend a school with a great reputation, and most importantly, great faculty and courses. My professors strengthened my skills and encouraged me to get real-world experience through internships. I interned with 90.5 WESA, Parish Digital/StudioME and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I learned far more than I could have ever expected in each internship. The foundation I needed to become a producer for the Pittsburgh Penguins came from my internships and guidance from professors.
In what ways has your college experience prepared you for your career?
I immediately got involved with U-View during my first semester at Point Park. It was a great opportunity to work with others and learn what it is like to work in a studio environment. Out of all of the classes I took at Point Park, Broadcast Copy Writing with Gina Catanzarite impacted my career most. She helped shape my creative thought process and prepared me to jump into such a fast-paced industry. Point Park also provided me with the scheduling flexibility to pursue an internship in the sports industry. I was able to attend classes a few days a week, which allowed me to get real-world experience through internships and freelancing.
Tell us about the work you do.
I am extremely fortunate to have a diverse set of responsibilities in my position. Alongside the rest of the PensTV staff, I produce content for all of our media outlets (digital, broadcast and in-game). Having the opportunity to produce content for so many different outlets is one of my favorite parts of my job. I have the pleasure of associate producing Pens Pulse, a monthly magazine show produced fully in-house. I travel with the team during away games and cover special events such as the NHL All-Star Game, NHL Awards and NHL Draft.
What advice do you have for prospective School of Communication students.
Point Park has been instrumental in leading me to land my dream job. Everyone who is a part of the School of Communication was committed to helping me reach my goals. I also enjoyed going to school in Downtown Pittsburgh. The atmosphere is electric and it is so encouraging walking to class with people walking into work.
Final thoughts?
I recently heard that once you find your dream job, it is your responsibility to help others find theirs. So I’d like to take this as an opportunity to potentially help you. The first thing you should consider while searching for a college is to find a place that will develop your passion into a career. You need to find a school and mentors who will invest themselves in you. I found that at Point Park and everything else in my career has fallen into place.