Jessica Vargas ‘26 got a close-up view of professional sports broadcasting this summer during a fast-paced internship at the John Deere Classic, a PGA Tour event, in Silvis, Illinois.
From July 3-6, 2025, Vargas worked as a videography intern for the Quad Cities ABC affiliate WQAD-TV. It was a major milestone for the public relations and digital media production double major, who transferred to St. Ambrose University from Black Hawk College last fall.
“I can now say I worked a PGA Tour event,” Vargas said. “I’d never done golf before, but it ended up being one of the best experiences I’ve had.”
Vargas was assigned to film at a different hole each day, tracking key players like Rickie Fowler and Max Homa. She worked alongside CBS Sports crews and helped cover the tournament’s playoff finish on Sunday. That day brought additional challenges, like on-and-off rain throughout the afternoon.
“It would rain for five minutes, stop for five. I had to keep track of scores, protect my camera, and my notebook got drenched. I came home after a 14-hour day and just wanted a shower,” Vargas said.
Despite the tough conditions, Vargas embraced the opportunity.
“You never know who you’re going to meet,” she said. “We had to take media shuttles from the headquarters to the course, and every day I met someone new - from other stations or the PGA. I feel like I got my name out there in a way I never had before."
A Foundation Built on Experience
Vargas isn’t new to the world of live sports production. Since her first year in college, she’s worked for MC22, a Mediacom affiliate, covering high school football, volleyball, basketball, and more.
“I started on cameras and then got moved into the truck as a replay operator,” Vargas said. “It’s a part-time paid job, but I call it my internship because it’s taught me so much.”
Her love for the field took root during her first experience in a live production truck.
“It was chaos - people yelling for shots, producers calling graphics - but I fell in love with it,” Vargas said. “It’s so exciting when it all comes together.”
At the John Deere Classic, Vargas drew on that experience and learned new skills, including operating different equipment and shooting footage handheld for more than 30 minutes. She also learned how to adjust camera settings, such as iris controls, to combat glare from the grass and keep the golf ball in frame.
“Following the ball in the air against the sky was tough,” Vargas said. “But now I could probably apply those skills to covering baseball, too.”
Vargas credits faculty and staff in the Communication and Digital Media Department, including Greg Armstrong, clinical instructor, and Jordan Franks, production specialist, with helping refine her technical and communication skills.
“They’ve taught me how to properly frame an interview, how to adapt quickly, and how to be ready for anything,” she said. “Greg always told me to take every opportunity. He even let me miss a class once for a sports shoot and was flexible with my class schedules as opportunities came up. That meant a lot.”
Turning Passion into a Career Plan
Now, as she heads into her final year at St. Ambrose, Vargas is serving as a videographer in the university’s Athletics Department – an opportunity she sees as another important step toward her career in sports media.
Her future goal is working full-time for a major professional organization like the Miami Heat, Atlanta Falcons, or even the WWE.
“The WWE would be amazing,” she said. “They travel the most, have super engaged fans, and put on consistent shows. I’d take anything - camera work, replay, producing - just to get my foot in the door.”
After spending four days covering the John Deere Classic, Jess Vargas didn’t just leave with better technical skills - she left with proof that she belongs in the professional sports media world. Navigating unpredictable weather, adapting to different equipment, and holding her own beside seasoned crews from national outlets, she gained a lot of valuable experience.
“I got to work the tournament through WQAD, and I met amazing people,” she said. “Now I know I can handle pro sports, and I’m even more confident in pursuing that path.”
Finding Her Voice in the Field
For Vargas, the experience showed her the power of saying yes, even when the opportunity seems small. She believes her time at St. Ambrose, combined with her years working live broadcasts for MC22, gave her the foundation she needed to thrive on the PGA stage. Now, she wants other students to recognize that big moments often come disguised as local gigs or last-minute shifts.
“Even if it’s just doing sports for your university, that’s a lot,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. This industry is always changing, and you’re always learning. I leave almost every game knowing something I didn’t before.”
Vargas also emphasized that growth in this field doesn’t come from pretending to know everything - it comes from being coachable. In an environment where every second matters and every camera shot counts, being honest about your abilities is just as important as being ambitious.
“If a producer asks if you can do something and you know you can’t, don’t fake it,” Vargas said. “Ask them to show you first, then do it the right way.”
Now entering her final year at St. Ambrose, Vargas carries the confidence of someone who has stood shoulder to shoulder with professionals, kept pace under pressure, and found excitement in the chaos. Her goal isn’t just to graduate with a degree, it’s to step into a career that lets her travel, tell stories through sports, and keep building on the momentum she’s already gained.
She’s not waiting for doors to open. She’s walking toward them, tripod in hand, camera ready, and eyes set firmly on the next big shot.
