While most students are asleep or cramming in last-minute assignments at 11 p.m., Hannah McGarvey ‘21 is fully awake and putting her skills to work as a Director at WHTM abc27. Between directing cameras, managing audio, training staff, and operating master control, no two days are exactly the same.
As a director at a local news station, McGarvey does everything from looking over shows and reviewing scripts to directing effects and managing clips. With all of these responsibilities to juggle, McGarvey shared that she often has to be extremely flexible. Whether switching from one duty to another or making last-minute changes to clips before they air, she has learned to adapt easily to each assignment. She also shared that her attention to detail has helped her perform well. Since her work broadcasts to the public daily, she has to stay on top of tasks and focus on the smallest details of her work.
McGarvey found her love for this profession when she began working part-time with YBTV while at Messiah. Throughout her experiences with YBTV and the courses she took, McGarvey was grateful to learn about her strengths which helped her discern her own career path. She also gained a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities that other positions in her industry have. This helped her communicate with co-workers and team members and gave her an appreciation for all of the work that goes into broadcasting. However, McGarvey mentioned that not every day is easy. She admits that she is constantly growing and learning as she gains more experience in the industry. McGarvey suggested, “If you have a bad day, don’t think ‘Oh no, I did a terrible job.’ Think ‘Today was a learning day.’”
McGarvey recommended that students should “learn as much as you can” about all aspects of your profession. Even if you don’t think a certain aspect of the industry is for you, learn about it so you can understand others’ jobs and how they may intersect with your own position. She also advised that students should “seek out very knowledgeable people and use them as mentors.”
During her time at Messiah, McGarvey learned a lot from the successes and failures of her mentors in YBTV who were willing to share about their experiences so that she could learn and apply them throughout her own work.
So, next time you watch an evening news clip from WHTM abc27, remember who might be at work behind the scenes!
-Chloe Howell Dec. ‘23