From Sports Illustrated to the Winter Olympics: Tori Jonach’s Career Path Proves Persistence Pays Off
A Rutgers Master of Communication and Media student’s winding journey through journalism, mentorship, and networking leads to Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, and the Olympic stage. As a student in the SC&I five-year Bachelors/ Master of Communication and Media (MCM) Program, Tori Jonach has never followed a straight or predictable path through college or graduate school—and that has been the key to her success.
The accelerated 5-year track, which enables seniors to begin taking MCM classes, has given her the flexibility to explore journalism, digital media, and public relations while building toward a long-term career in sports and broadcast media. Although the program is structured to be completed in five years, Jonach’s professional momentum has added a new chapter to her timeline: she is now set to finish in Fall 2026 after taking a semester off to work with NBC Sports on the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
Finding Her Way At Rutgers
When Jonach first arrived at Rutgers University, she didn’t have a neatly mapped-out career plan. What she did have was curiosity, a love for writing, and the sense that a big campus with big opportunities would give her the freedom to discover what she was meant to do. She said Rutgers, with its size, diversity of programs, and proximity to home, felt like the right place.
Jonach's explorations eventually led her to SC&I and to a curriculum that felt like a natural extension of her academic interests. She officially chose to major in Journalism and Media Studies at the end of her sophomore year.
To supplement her major, she also chose to minor in Digital Communication, Information, and Media (DCIM), which enabled her to blend creative storytelling with a more strategic, media-savvy understanding of how content moves through digital spaces.
Mentorship That Made The Difference
Throughout her time at SC&I, Jonach has been shaped not just by her coursework, but by the faculty members who took a personal interest in her growth. Four professors stand out as mentors who helped her connect the classroom to the real world. John Samerjan, a lecturer who teaches the class Public Information and Public Relations, was one of the first faculty members to show her what genuine investment in students looks like.
Teaching Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Journalism and Media Studies Steve Miller’s Critical Issues in Sports Media course became another turning point. “He wants the best for every one of his students, and he will stop at nothing to get his students employed,” Jonach said. It was Miller who introduced her to the power of guest speakers—not just as lecturers, but as people to build relationships with. His support directly led to two of the most significant opportunities of her college career. “Not only did he help me land my spot [as a Beat Reporter] with Sports Illustrated (New York Giants on SI), but after he remembered I was a Giants fan, he invited Kathryn Tappen JMS'03 to speak to our class. Tappen works for NBC Sports, where she is the sideline reporter for Big Ten Saturday Night. I connected with her during her visit, and later she offered me a job at NBC."
In her senior year, Jonach took the class Media, Marketing and Communication and Purposeful Public Relations taught by Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Communication Mark Beal. “Professor Beal is a rockstar because he gets to know every student of his and truly prioritizes each of them,” she said, praising both his teaching style and his vast network of PR connections.
Jonach also credits Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Journalism and Media Studies Neal Bennett, who taught her Digital Media and Production last spring, with expanding how she thinks about media work.
Leveraging Opportunities Into Experience
Those connections have led her to a remarkable early career. She recently spent fourteen weeks traveling with the NBC's Big Ten production team as a sideline assist to Tappen, and she is now preparing for her next major assignment. “At the end of the month, I will start my work as a researcher for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games,” she said, a role that will place her in Stamford, Connecticut, working long, intense days behind the scenes. She currently works for NBC Sports as a freelance employee, and her long-term goal is clear. “Seeing how great and hardworking everyone is, I would love to be working with them full-time, no matter what role I’m in.”
She credits her success to actively networking, which directly led to her NBC opportunity. She also emphasizes the value of Rutgers resources like career fairs and student media organizations such as WRSU-FM, RVision, and The Daily Targum, and notes that early unpaid work and persistence, including writing over 200 NIL articles for the First Round Mock, were key to building her career.
Now, with her graduation set for Fall 2026 after she takes a semester off to work the Olympics, Jonach is living proof that exploration, persistence, and a few brave conversations can turn a student’s uncertainty into a career in motion.
Learn more about the Master of Communication and Media degree program on the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website.
