NMSU journalism student helps cover Paris Olympics as NBC Sports intern

Noah Apodaca will begin his senior year at New Mexico State University this fall after a once-in-a-lifetime internship with NBC Sports during the Paris 2024 Olympics in July and August.

“I'm just really excited,” Apodaca said. “I grew up watching the big networks, CBS, NBC, ABC. And now to have the opportunity to work alongside very talented and skilled media professionals is a very big privilege.”

NMSU is among a number of universities partnering with NBCU Academy, collaborating on internships, training and development programs focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.

“Beyond equipment and scholarships, it’s fantastic that our students have access to world class journalists and executives across NBC’s various outlets,” said Amy Lanasa, interim department head for journalism and media studies. “This is a great opportunity for hands-on learning and mentorship for our students.”

Apodaca will spend a month working as part of a team involved in streaming Olympic events online.

“I won't be working in Paris, I will be working in Stamford, Connecticut, in the NBC Sports hub office,” said Apodaca. “My responsibilities will involve digital streaming operations, helping to make sure the streams are running smoothly.

Apodaca chose NMSU because of its reputation for strong programs in broadcast journalism and digital media. He has worked as a reporter and forecaster on NMSU’s News22 program, a student run newscast produced and anchored by students with guidance from journalism professors Hugo Perez and Nick Miller.

“Even though it’s a college newsroom, that understanding extends to larger, more sophisticated operations as well, said Miller, director of News22 for the last 12 years. “Noah has done considerable anchoring at News22, both news and weather. He recently won the NMBA (New Mexico Broadcast Association) award for best college weathercast. Noah has natural talent, but I like to believe the experience of being on the air has made him more comfortable in all aspects of television, giving him the confidence to apply for the NBC internship.”

“Our Department of Journalism and Media Studies is has a great partnership with the NBC Universal and the NBCU Academy,” Apodaca said. “By working within our department alongside NBCU, I realized I want to be part of an organization that is able to really capture their audience and just tell stories from a different perspective.”

Although he has worked in other internships, including those with El Paso TV news stations and for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, Apodaca was intimidated knowing that students from large schools like UCLA and Arizona State University also were applying for the same internship.

“I didn’t think I was going to get it, then I made it to the next stage interview,” Apodaca said. “Then I got the call saying ‘Congratulations, you got the job.’ That was my very first, very preliminary welcome to the NBC team.”

The biggest challenge Apodaca anticipates will be working on the East Coast. A Las Cruces native, he’s never lived anywhere else, but he is looking forward to going outside his comfort zone, being a short train ride away from New York and particularly Manhattan.

Apodaca has availed himself of every opportunity at NMSU to expand his experience. In addition to broadcasting, he was a staff writer for the student newspaper The Round Up as well as writing for the online magazine Kokopelli. Apodaca is grateful for journalism professor Darren Phillips, who also mentored students on Kokopelli, for his guidance and support in applying for the NBC internship.

He credits his confidence in applying for various hands-on internships to his professors’ support and encouragement. Whether this internship will help steer his future career toward broadcasting, Apodaca is remaining open.

“Working within the media industry is something that I've always been kind of geared toward,” Apodaca said. “I've always had an attraction to the industry, but I'm definitely taking everything as it comes, just soaking up the experiences that I have over this next year before graduation to see where the path leads.”

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: NMSU journalism student helps cover Paris Olympics as NBC Sports intern