For Penn State senior and sports reporter Cailey Thalman, sports were always a big part of her life. Even as a young girl attending hockey games with her dad, Thalman wasn’t just watching games, but rather asking questions, a lot of them. 

“I wanted to know all the rules. I wanted to know who all the players were,” Thalman said. “I was just always really interested in what was going on.”

As she grew older, that curiosity never wavered. Instead, it fueled her career at Penn State that now spans nearly every role in sports media: anchor, sideline reporter, producer, and host. Most importantly, it continues to grow well beyond Happy Valley’s campus. 

Thalman grew up attending various sports games around the Washington, D.C. area with her dad. First, it was hockey, and then football soon followed. As the years continued, Thalman became more and more interested in the sports industry, yet still questioned if it was a realistic career path. 

“I was really good at school,” Thalman said. “So in my head, it was like, I should go to medical school or do something like that. Looking back on it, that mindset makes no sense.”

During her junior year in high school, things changed with a push of encouragement from her parents and grandfather, the former athletic director of communications for Penn State football. It was from then on that Thalman decided she was all in. 

Thalman had options when choosing a university. But after attending Penn State’s 2021 White Out game against Auburn, the decision was made. 

“I was on the verge of tears the entire game. I was so happy just being there. That environment, it just felt like home,” said Thalman.

With a combination of that experience, her acceptance into the Bellisario College of Communications, and a scholarship through the Schreyer Honors College, Penn State felt impossible to turn down. 

“I remember thinking every single sign possible is pointing me here, I need to go,” said Thalman. 

Once on campus, Thalman wasted no time joining Penn State Sports Night and made it a point to put herself on camera as often as possible. 

“I wasn’t the best person at being on camera at the beginning,” said Thalman. “But the only way to get better is to keep doing it.”

She credits Penn State alumnus, Destiny Sanchez, as a major early influence, as both a mentor and advocate. It is from Sanchez that Thalman learned about working with Penn State Athletics and wasted no time pursuing the opportunity. 

Between sending cold emails and waiting outside officials’ offices, Thalman’s efforts eventually paid off. Thalman joined Penn State Athletics’ on-camera crew and began reporting every sport for Big Ten Plus. 

“I said yes to everything,” said Thalman. “Track, swimming, soccer, volleyball, field hockey; literally everything. Even if I wasn’t as familiar with the sport, I wasn’t gonna let that stop me.”

Thalman’s experiences didn’t just stop in front of the camera, as she eventually became a producer for Penn State Sports Night. 

“I owe everything I’ve done to that first opportunity; I will never want to leave,” said Thalman. 

Thalman’s summers were just as busy as the school year. After gaining experience working specifically in college baseball, Thalman spent her most recent summer in Fayetteville, Arkansas, interning with Hogs Plus, a media company specializing in external storytelling. 

That experience proved valuable when Penn State Athletics transitioned its own content department to Roar+. Having worked in a similar environment, Thalman was able to make successful contributions to the development of the new Penn State media platform. 

Those connections led her back to Penn State, where she undertook a national role reporting a pregame show, alongside reporters Jason Cabinda and Christian Hackenberg. Additionally, Thalman was recently offered a position to work as a digital media intern for this year’s Super Bowl with the Associated Press. 

Despite her constant work schedule, Thalman says the one thing she’s most proud of is the connections she’s made with so many people. One piece that holds a specific place in her heart was created during the College World Series this past summer when she interviewed Arkansas baseball player Cam Kozeal in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. 

“It felt like a homecoming for him, playing in the College World Series in front of family and friends, with about 60 people there. I did a long sit-down with his parents to learn where he came from, because the people who influence you on and off the field really shape who you are. That’s why those person-to-person stories matter. Hearing how his parents talk about Cam, and how Cam talks about them, creates a dynamic that’s really compelling for fans,” said Thalman. 

As a journalist, Thalman focuses on telling stories that show players as their authentic selves, using a personal approach to connect with audiences.

“I think of my role as doing the best job that I can do for those people who really want to hear it…I feel the most responsibility telling those stories to the people that really care about the person, to the people that really want to know the person that I’m talking to,” Thalman said. 

Looking ahead as graduation approaches, Thalman’s long-term career goal is to be on camera in some capacity, covering sports. Thirty years down the road, she hopes to be a lead sports anchor for a major news network.

“I don’t want to box myself in,” said Thalman. “I just know I want to be on camera and around sports.

Most importantly, she wants to do a job that makes her genuinely happy in the sports industry. 

Beyond her college career, Thalman hopes to leave a legacy as someone dependable, kind, and a role model for young girls in the sports field. 

“I want them to see the power of hard work and determination,” said Thalman. “And I want people to know this industry is hard, but it’s also so much fun.”