HIGH POINT, N.C., April 1, 2022 – High Point University’s campus is booming this spring with visits from global leaders as part of the Access to Innovators Program. Byron Pitts, co-anchor for ABC News’ “Nightline” and HPU’s Journalist in Residence, mentored students in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication on March 31.
Pitts spent the day working with communication students to offer feedback and learn more in their respective majors. HPU student Thomas Hart, a senior sports media major, interviewed Pitts on the university’s Access to Innovators Podcast. After the interview, Pitts took the time to go through Hart’s questions and critique his approach for future interviews.
“I appreciate the opportunity I was given to interview one of the best of the best in journalism,” says Hart, a student from Fort Mills, South Carolina. “After the podcast, he talked with me about what he liked and ways to improve. It was reassuring to hear him say that what I’m being taught is correct. I’m going to use his input moving forward with other stories I work on.”
Inside the School of Communication’s professional TV studio, Pitts co-anchored a live newscast alongside HPU students and shared feedback on the video packages they put together for the show. Anna Harris, a senior journalism major, discussed the making of her story on the popular internet game “Wordle.”
“Having the opportunity to work with global leaders like Byron Pitts is one of the main reasons I chose HPU,” said Harris, who has already accepted a full-time job as a multimedia journalist at WCSC-TV in Charleston, South Carolina, after graduation. “Mr. Pitts and I have met before, but this was the first time that we had a lot of one-on-one conversation and the first time that he saw some of my work. It was rewarding to hear his positive feedback on my video package and have him see me active in the newsroom. It was a fulfilling experience to hear him say he was impressed and excited for me.”
“There’s no place in America like High Point University,” said Pitts. “There’s always ‘wow’ moments when you come here. When you walk onto campus, you sense excellence, you sense service and you sense humility. I would argue as a parent that these are all traits I would want in my child. As a professional, I would want this in my colleagues. This is a special place.”
Pitts is an Emmy award-winning reporter with more than 30 years of experience that he shares with HPU students.
The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan, HPU’s Sports Reporter in Residence, also recently visited campus on March 24 to mentor students. You can see more about recent visits from HPU’s in Residence leaders by clicking here.
See a full list of global leaders in HPU’s Access to Innovators program here.