JAXIE PIDGEON
ABOUT JAXIE PIDGEON
My birth name is Jaclyn, but only my family (and now, you) know that. To the rest of the world, I’m Jaxie. Combine that with an unusual last name, and you might say I was born to stand out from the crowd.
I am loving studying journalism at the University of Texas at Austin, where I embrace the motto “Keep Austin Weird,” Longhorn sports (and our beloved Bevo), Kerbey Lane Café’s queso, and my role at Texas Student Television.
My roots are in Plano, Texas, where I was “that kid” who tried out for whatever appealed to me with a glass-half-full attitude. You never know if you don’t try, right?! Eighth grade choir soloist (I’d never sang before), school volleyball (I already played basketball and softball, so how hard could it be?), being elected to the Regional Board of BBYO’s North Texas-Oklahoma Region, becoming team captain for my high school varsity golf team — I scored all four of those, but I had a few flops along the way. Builds character.
Sports have always been my thing. I thoroughly enjoyed each sport I played growing up, not only for the love of the game but also for the camaraderie I experienced with teammates. So it’s no wonder I am now in my element in the Sports Department of Texas Student Television at UT. Being an athlete and a team player gives me the perspective to tell compelling stories through sports.
I have experience working both on-air and behind the scenes at TSTV, the only student-run, FCC-licensed, digitally broadcasted college TV station in the U.S. TSTV Sports airs weekly half-hour studio shows covering the Texas Longhorns and national sports as well as live broadcasts. For these shows, I serve as an assistant producer, reporter, show host and crew member. I also have the privilege of creating video packages that air on the shows and are posted on social media platforms. I have made packages for Texas baseball, softball, football and volleyball and look forward to covering other sports as well.
While I have a passion for broadcast journalism, especially being on air, I am also inspired by the power of the written word, so I write articles about things that I feel are important. I have written about inspiring people, sports, events, diversity, government and much more, for both broadcast and print. Writing brings out my creative side and allows me opportunities to cover things that are outside of my comfort zone.
The jobs, internship programs and activities that I have been and am currently a part of have fueled my passion for broadcast journalism and reporting, and I am excited to see what the future holds.
In my free time, I enjoy being with close friends and my very large extended family as well as traveling anywhere there is sand and sunshine. As an eternal optimist, my favorite motto is “When nothing is going right, go left” because life is filled with twists and turns, but there is always a path to reach your ultimate goals with the right attitude, a healthy dose of stamina, and a good sense of humor.