School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumna Mikhayla Hughes-Shaw found herself in a job as a Reporter and Multimedia Journalist for WHBF TV. After about 8 months in this role, Hughes-Shaw transitioned into a new position as a Show Host for the station. The show is called “Loving, Living, Local” and focuses on local businesses and the community.  

“It’s a very hyper-local show. We want people to turn this on and see what new restaurant is opening or which non-profit organization is giving back to the community,” said Hughes-Shaw.  

Mikhayla said she thinks the Journalism school prepared her well for whatever the next chapter held, but she was still surprised when she landed her first job.

“That daily rigor of turning a story, or two, or three, every day is going to be challenging,” said Hughes-Shaw. But she also explained that it’s easy to settle into a routine once you learn what is expected of you.  

As a student at SJMC, Mikhayla was a Peer Mentor for the Journalism school for the 2019-2020 academic year. She credits Paul Jensen and Professor Charles Munro for being two members of the faculty that inspired her into her next steps.  

“That class [with Professor Charles Munro] genuinely solidified that I wanted to do TV,” said Hughes-Shaw. “Not to be cliché, but it was a life changing class.”  

Mikhayla said the biggest lesson she’s learned since graduation is that you don’t have to fit into a mold in order to succeed.  

“In fact, the people that are unapologetically themselves, those are the people that are thriving right now,” said Hughes-Shaw.  

Mikhayla encourages anyone interested in pursuing a career in TV or broadcast journalism to contact her. You can reach her by email, or follow this link to her LinkedIn page.