APSE remains committed to recruiting and sponsoring college students as members of the organization.
For a $25 fee, students gain access to the minds and events that will shape the future of sports journalism. Sponsoring editors are asked to help mentor the students as they prepare to enter the profession.
To sponsor a student member, go to the How to Join page.
Several APSE members have answered the call. To recognize them and the new members they've brought into our organization, we're posting bios of the latest wave of student members.
Today, meet a University of Central Florida junior sponsored by Bill Speros.
Jake Rakoci
College status: Junior at University of Central Florida in 2013-2014
Sponsoring member: Bill Speros
Experience: Orlando Sentinel High School Sports Reporting Institute in the summer of 2010. Student editor of Orlando Sentinel’s inaugural Varsity Life, a by-students-for-students quarterly publication that ran for the duration of the 2010 academic year. Joined KnightNews.com during the 2011 academic year as the assistant sports editor, eventually became the overall sports editor. Served as news editor of KnightNews.com since the 2012 academic school year.
How did you become interested in sports journalism? I have been a self-described sports junkie for as long as I can remember. When I went away to summer camp for a week at age 10, I demanded that my parents save all of the sports pages so I could catch up. The Orlando Sentinel Sports Reporting Institute solidified my interest in the field and the experience was an invaluable springboard to start a sports journalism career.
What’s the most important thing you've learned? In today’s Twitter-dominated, highway-of-information world, a sense of urgency is one of the most important skills a young journalist can develop. I learned the hard way that sitting on a potential breaking story, even just for a little bit, gives the competition more time to break it before you.
Dream job? I love being a multi-faceted journalist. My true passion is broadcast sports reporting, but I also love to write columns, edit video highlights, and write feature stories. My dream job would be to become a sports director for a major news network.
Hobbies/interests/activities: Reading online sports blogs, playing basketball, working out at the gym, discovering new music and staying informed on current events around the world.
Jake’s work appears on: KnightNews.com
Follow Jake on Twitter: @rakoci
To get your student member bio posted contact Loren Nelson at loren.nelson@sportngin.com
