My name is Tommy Brooksbank. I am entering my junior year here at the University of Southern California! Currently, I am double majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science. I love both of these disciplines and hope to apply them in an eventual career in political journalism. My goal is to apply the skills I have learned here at Annenberg in the real world as the lead news anchor for a national broadcasting company or to have my own political talk show on a news network (hopefully CNN).
I was born and bred in Reno, Nevada. The moderately sized city was a great place to grow up. I also have 5 siblings- 4 sisters and 1 little brother. Needless to say, I was never bored growing up. My 3 older sisters also went to USC now live in the Los Angeles area.
I love to participate in any kind of athletics: basketball, football, snowboarding, running- you name it. Finding interesting coffee shops is fun as well (as long as its good coffee). I am also an avid skydiver.
This summer, I had the opportunity to intern with the Hillary For America Campaign. I was a part of the video production team, which created all the online political advertisements for social media, interest groups, and volunteers as well as most of the videos played at the Democratic National Convention. It was such a great experience being a part of the team. My editing skills improved drastically in my time at the internship and it was really exciting to have my work published to such a large audience. The internship was in Brooklyn so I was able to see New York City for the first time. There was so much energy and activity in the city- I can definitely see myself living there one day.
I have been interested in Journalism since I was a child. My mom always had the news on while she was cleaning up dinner and I would become fascinated with the stories the anchors would report on. As the years went by, I began to love the news more and more. It became a nightly routine by the end of sixth grade. Every night I would watch the news after dinner with my mom and we talk about everything that going on in the world. The news became so interesting to me because I saw it open windows to other places and cultures. Even though the entertainment industry and sports have interested me in the past, hard news has substance and can make the world a better place. Every time I am editing a broadcast, filming, writing a script, or even setting up the lighting for an interview, I am working hard, but I feel like I am not working at all. I am participating in something I have a passion for. Even when I am running on very little sleep and a deadlines approaching, it still feels like Christmas morning every time I am in that broadcasting room. I want that feeling every time I go to work.
