TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The University of Alabama (UA) named WVUA 23 student reporter Avery Boyce a finalist for the 2023-2024 Student Employee of the Year award. Boyce was among the 32 students honored at Hotel Capstone on March 28.
Boyce was the first of three runners-up to the winner in the competition. Her supervisor and WVUA 23 news director Kay Norred said she was impressed by the other finalists, saying that each of them had “amazing stories.”
Managers and supervisors nominate their student employees for the annual award ceremony each Spring semester. According to the award website, ideal nominees should hold “outstanding” contributions and achievements in their on-campus job. Boyce began working at WVUA in 2023 and has been there for a year. Norred said she represents the station with her eagerness to “get the [news] story right,” her initiative to help in the office and the quality of her work. Norred added that she plans to hire Boyce immediately after her May graduation.
“She is eager to learn, and she always wants to get the story right,” Norred said of Boyce. “She fills in for her coworkers when needed. She has a great attitude, and everyone enjoys working with her.”
Boyce’s eagerness to learn means she also sought extra opportunities at the station, so she learned to report, produce and anchor a television newscast. Norred called this combination of skills a “triple threat” for future employers.
“She digs for original storytelling and always does more than the bare minimum that is required. I wish I had a newsroom full of ‘Averys,’” Norred said.
Although impressed with Boyce’s work ethic, Norred said she nominated Boyce for the Student Employee of the Year award for many more reasons.
“It was mainly because of who she is as a person,” Norred said, describing her as “always helpful.” One Saturday when Boyce was off work, Norred saw her at the news station helping one of the anchor’s sons with his Spanish homework. She had volunteered to meet with him and tutor him there.
“Now, that’s a good person. She sees a need and fills it,” Norred added.
Opportunities like those available to Boyce are open to all student interns at the news station, but Norred said the internship is “what you make of it.” For Boyce, getting involved ultimately resulted in career networking, work experience, a full-time job and a competitive award.
Norred said, “If you are eager to learn and to get involved, you’re going to learn so much.”
Opportunities for student interns at WVUA 23 News include reporting, anchoring or producing daily television newscasts. In addition, the station has teams for digital content, camerawork and sports news. Although students are initially trained to perform a specific job, they can move positions for a wider range of newsroom experience.
Avery Boyce is a graduating senior in the College of Communication & Information Sciences (C&IS). She also works at WVUA 23 News in Bryant-Denny Stadium, where she helps to report, anchor, and produce the daily news broadcasts. After her graduation in May, she plans to work full-time at the news station. See some of her work with WVUA 23 News here.
WVUA 23 News is a commercial television news station in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Owned and operated by UA’s College of C&IS, the station has an independent news staff which serves the West Alabama and Birmingham market areas. See more about WVUA 23 News here.