Caught Smiling: Sunday Showcase with Audrey Wiltz

I first met Audrey a few years ago during my brief stint in the Oregon State University’s student ran media community. I could instantly tell by her permanent grin and confident body language that this woman had impeccable moral, emotional, and mental strength. This hunch was undeniably confirmed the more I became acquainted with this multi-faceted talent currently taking OSU by storm. Her motivational, hard-working, and genuine character has gained her endless friends, faithful colleagues, countless admirers, and vast opportunities inside and outside the confines of Oregon State University. Be it her Fan Film Commercial that airs regularly on the Pac12 network during OSU football games, coordinating radical events for the MUPC, befriending Betty White at the NAB Conference in Las Vegas, or interning for E! Network in LA, there’s no doubt this talented young lady is going big places really fast. You’re going to want to hop on her fan train while there are still a few seats left.

I had the honor of sitting down with Audrey for a riveting Q & A in this week’s Sunday Showcase. Here you will find an excess of terrific insights into Beaver athletics, Audrey’s simple beginnings, and her aspirations after graduation in the coming months.

Your passionate dedication to media and broadcasting is apparent and your blossoming talents are obvious.  How did you get so involved in this and what was the initial spark that fueled your desire to be the next best sports broadcaster and on field correspondent? 

I would say ever since I was a little girl being a sports broadcaster was always my dream, but I’d be lying. Yes, I’ve definitely always loved sports, that is true, but there was a chain of events that have led me down the career path I’m going.

I was always the girl all of my friends went to for advice or to tell secrets to. I LOVED to help people, to share my thoughts and give advice – and I still do! But, at a young age I always was deeply worried that my friends and people around me were not happy. I always wanted to know why, always wanted to help them live a happier life. So, “maybe I’ll become a counselor,” I thought.

Towards the end of middle school and beginning of high school, I began to think a bit bigger. If my friends and people around me were having these various issues, surely other people our age or even just other people all around the world are going through similar things as well. Then it clicked – the surest way to help a lot of people at once would be to have a talk show on TV. I thought about it on a whim, and the dream has stuck with me ever since. In high school, I had my heart set on two things: I was either going to be in the WNBA or become the next Oprah.

Well, being 5’6 and the first or second off the bench wasn’t going to get me to the WNBA, so I began to look into college options without basketball as a factor. But, if I want to be Oprah, what in the world do I study in college? I began to do some searching, and eventually came across the New Media Communications program at Oregon State.

Currently a few years later and two terms away from graduating, I could have never expected to fall so madly in love with Oregon State University and have the experiences that I have in such a few short years. My experiences in media have a heavy sports influence, which is what most people see. However, this did offer me the ability to learn hands on skills of every kind, make connections with great, kind hearted people, and it taught me one of the most important lessons of all: If you want it, go get it. A lot of things in life are what you make it, and if you’re striving to be successful, you have to make it good and meaningful from the start.

 

For someone that is looked up to by others as a role model and inspirational figure, who do you look towards for inspiration? Who are your top role models?

First and foremost, my parents. I am so blessed to have been raised by them and learn the lessons I did from each. It’s very seldom do I go more than a few days without talking to my parents.  My best friend Bri, who is the perfect mix of similar and opposite to me, has inspired me with her tenacity and perseverance in life all throughout friendship, and we’ve been friends for over half our lives.

Considering all that she has influenced throughout her life, I am absolutely intrigued and inspired by the career and life of Oprah Winfrey. I’d do anything to spend just a day with her.

Another person I look towards for inspiration is Yogi Roth, one of the first sports reporters I had the chance to shadow.  He was so kind and full of life. His passion for his work (football, in particular) and his love of travel make it obvious he enjoys his life. It definitely shows.

Also Marcellus Alexander, Louie Botarro, Jeff Hale, Dr. Bill Loges, Julia Sandidge, Linda Howard, Ryan Nece, Aaron Owens, Christian Loor, and Michael Chase, and an extensive list of co-workers, friends, family, family friends both young and old, neighbors throughout the years, endless classmates I’ve met in my time here at OSU.

Most of all, I’m really intrigued and inspired by everyday people who are chasing their dreams and working towards making a better world for us to live in. Inspiration is always around, you just have to take a second to notice it.

 

I am aware you interned/worked for the E! Entertainment Network in Los Angeles last summer. Can you elaborate a bit on what kind of stuff you were doing? Were you working on a television show? What kind of career and life experiences did you learn while doing this?

Oh gosh – what a summer! I absolutely loved my time working for E! and living in Los Angeles. As an NBC Universal intern, you are very well taken care of. I worked in the department of Program Planning & Acquisitions, which essentially is a team of people who strategically plan what is on TV at certain times throughout the day. It was very insightful learning why things are the way they are, as well as what it takes for networks to acquire movies for playback on their channel. I got to meet a variety of folks who worked in many different departments, and even ones outside of my own E! network. The perks were also lovely – there were intern meet & greets, dinner events, discounts at Universal CityWalk & Universal Studios, and sometimes we were able to go to movie screenings too which was a first for me. Throughout the summer, I learned a lot about the little things. Knowing the doorman or the name of the woman at the front desk who greets you every morning is sometimes just as meaningful and important as a good handshake when you meet the head of your department for the first time.

 

Let’s exist in a fantasy for a moment: you have the opportunity to have any media job with any collegiate or professional sports team. Which position on what team would you choose? Why?

If you would’ve asked me this as a little girl I totally would’ve told you that if I didn’t make it to the WNBA then I was going to be a reporter for the NBA covering the Lakers because they were the best team of all time.

If I had the opportunity to pick any media job with a collegiate or professional sports team, I think I could choose to cover a conference – is that fair? I honestly really enjoy the PAC 12, I think they’re an overlooked conference by many.  There is a lot of rich sports history here just as there are other places. I would love to dig deeper into the schools of the PAC 12 and work to share their stories. Football and basketball (men’s and/or women’s) would be my sports preferences, for sure.

Blogger’s Note: Of course it’s fair, Audrey. In fact, as I’m sure you are well aware of, you’re already a Pac12 Network celeb:

 

Who has been your favorite interviewee, either on the Beavers Sports Talk Show on KBVR TV or in a personal endeavor?

Oh man. I’ve always really liked interviewing Markus Wheaton when he played at Oregon State. He was a bit oof a quiet speaker, but he was extremely kind and good to work with. I’d have to say the coolest interview I have ever done though was with sports legend Dick Butkus. The Memorial Union Program Council (MUPC) put on a “Breakfast with Dick Butkus” event for Dad’s Weekend this year and asked me to host the brunch and facilitate the conversation and interview there. He was such an awesome guy, really easy to talk with, and he cared a lot about things outside of football too, which is great. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to film the event and only have pictures. But hey – it happened!

 Keep up with Audrey and follow her incredible adventure at:

Website: http://audreywiltz.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/audrreeyyyy

Instagram: http://instagram.com/helloitsaudrey