UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State branch of the Association for Women in Sports Media has been selected as the student chapter of the year, the national organization announced.
AWSM — pronounced awe-some — is a non-profit organization whose members support the advancement and growth of women in sports media, be they professionals or students. People of all genders are welcome as members.
“AWSM Penn State is a truly special organization, and I can't wait to see how high it soars for years to come,” said Haley McCullough, the 2023-24 president of the 2023-24 chapter, who recently graduated from the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications and is taking a position as an assistant producer for the Philadelphia Eagles. “In this industry, it's clear that if people work together, they gain more opportunities — so that was the framework our executive team used throughout the year.”
In 2023-24, the AWSM chapter at Penn State aimed to create “an environment specifically for students to learn the ins and outs of the industry, while finding and crafting their talents,” McCullough said. “We connected them with some amazing industry professionals.”
Among those on the guest roster were Allie Berube, sports director at ABC27-WHTM-TV in Harrisburg; Haley Costello, a three-time Emmy winner and supervising producer at the MLB and NHL Networks; Rebecca King, vice president of community relations at the Nashville Predators; Sarah Snyder, a team photographer for the New York Jets; and Barbara Zaun and Jess Teson, both of the Eagles. Zaun is director of entertainment teams, while Teson works in marketing and media.
The chapter also toured the Pittsburgh Steelers facilities and gained insights from professionals within the organization, thanks to former chapter president Caitlyn Cossu, now the marketing event coordinator for the Steelers.
This marks the third time that AWSM Penn State has won the national award, more than any other school. It also won in 2017-18 and 2019-20. There are currently 17 student chapters, but that number will expand to 24 in the coming year.
“I’ve been working with AWSM Penn State for quite a while,” said John Affleck, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society, and the chapter’s faculty adviser since 2014. “What’s always impressed me is how the students created a real, caring community that lifted each other up. The 2023-24 chapter may be the best example yet of that. For sports-interested young women, AWSM is a real boost.”