It’s no secret that Penn State is one of the best schools in the country for networking. From professors to alumni, you’re almost sure to connect with a fellow Penn Stater. In many careers, connections mean everything, and making the right ones can change your life. 

Meet Haley Jacobs. She is a recent Penn State graduate with a passion for storytelling. After graduating with a broadcast journalism last May, Jacobs has continued her career with WINK news in Southwest Florida. She was also recently awarded a Student Production Emmy for Best News Report. 

As a teen, Jacobs had a passion for theater. Knowing she wanted to pursue a more stable career, she looked to fellow teachers for advice. “My vocal coach at the time was like a lot of ex-theater kids go into journalism and reporting. There’s a lot of overlap and transferable skills,” she said. 

After being accepted to Penn State, she pursued her broadcasting degree while being involved in the school’s Centre County Report (CCR).

“Getting that opportunity for a semester to have a live 30-minute newscast every Friday just set me up with experiences that have made this transition a little easier,” Jacobs said. She also had the opportunity to work with Penn State Athletics, where she did live sports commentary for Penn State football. 

Jacobs’s favorite moment at Penn State was interviewing Giancarlo Esposito, who played Gus from “Breaking Bad”, for a Penn State SPA event. “That was just an amazing experience because, like, with news, it’s so fast paced, and I feel like I can’t sit down sometimes and actually talk to someone, and that was a whole hour-long conversation with a really cool person, and it was great,” she said.

Jacobs acquired her first post-grad job with WINK at the Bellisario College of Communications Career Fair. She is forever grateful for the support of her professors and community at Penn State and attributes it to the career she has today. 

“The name travels so far and having that reputation, and then the support of professors, they actually care and they want to see you succeed,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs credits her success to being human and having empathy for those whose stories she is telling. “I try to put myself as a human first, not a reporter,” she said.

Her advice for Penn State students? To make yourself as uncomfortable as possible.

“If you are uncomfortable, you’re growing, and you’ll be shocked at how far it can take you when the only person holding you back is yourself,” Jacobs said. 

Pushing herself out of her comfort zone is what led her to winning a Mid-Atlantic Emmy just three months post-grad. “This is the time you can fail, you can do it and make a fool of yourself and it doesn’t matter,” she said.