While attending West Liberty, Rachael anchored and produced “Newsline 14″ for two semesters. She also participated in an “on-campus internship” where she did the weather for the student run newscast as well.

Rachael’s path after graduation didn’t lead her straight to a job in her degree but it never broke her persistance of full-filling her lifetime goal of working on television.

Rachael was hired as a producer and digital journalist for WTRF in Wheeling in Decemeber 2011.  After a few months of producing and reporting she jumped into the weekend anchor position.  Rachael currently anchors the weekend 6, 10 & 11 newscasts at WTRF and reports evenings through the week.

Rachael is a Shadyside, Ohio native.  Which is one reason she was glad to come home after going to college in Pittsburgh for two years and finish school at West Liberty.  She is honored to be able to find a job doing what she loves in the area she loves most.

Some of Rachael’s best memories while at West Liberty include late nights fighting Avid editing TV-Field projects, making lifelong friends and working at the Roadworthy. (And yes she still has her cat Craig)

During Rachael’s spare time she loves cheering on the Mountaineers (a recently acquired favorite team) doing anything outdoors, cooking and spending time with her friends and family.

Rachael’s best piece of advice to anyone in the communications or broadcasting field is to never give up and never be too proud to take a job.  You never know where it may take you! And Go Toppers!

Brittni Lindgren is a 2012 graduate earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications with a Broadcasting emphasis. During her three years at West Liberty University Brittni enjoyed time both in front of the camera and behind the camera for WLU-TV. Brittni co-created and produced the stations first student run sports show, Jock Talk. She was also the sideline reporter for Hilltopper Football and basketball. While reporting for West Liberty’s Sport Network, Brittni was given the opportunity to anchor in a sports package featuring the Hilltoppers for CBS Sport network.

 Brittni also interned and worked part-time at a local production company, Walkabout Company, as an assistant editor and producer. Brittni worked continued to work for Walkabout the summer after graduation until she left for graduate school in Pittsburgh.  

 After graduation, Brittni was accepted into Chatham University’s MFA program in Film and technology. During her time at Chatham, she is focusing on her love of documentary filmmaking and her American Indian heritage. Her thesis focuses on how American Indians form their identity with the burdens of the stereotypes created in both film and advertising. She plans on graduating in December of 2013.

 After receiving her MFA, Brittni plans on beginning her teaching career at a university while continuing to create films.

Left to Right: Producer Chuck Scatterday, Senior Zach Cochran, Senior Samantha Gretchen, Executive Producer Theresa Gretchen, Announcer Reid Amos, Senior Danielle Zacherl, Production Engineer Jared Thompson, Kayla Stickley, Senior. Photo by Clair Pockl

The West Liberty University Television Production crew has been proud to bring play by play action to thousands of viewers during the Hilltoppers march to another NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship. The production crew, composed of about 25 students, worked diligently to bring quality television coverage for every home basketball game, as well as a few games on the road. Theresa Gretchen, Executive Producer/Executive Director of WLU-TV and leader of the production crew, is very proud of the work the students have put in throughout the season. “I am so proud of all of them. It’s always so hard to let them go. We spend so much time together and really are family. I’m so excited for the bright future that lies ahead for each of them,” stated Gretchen.

This year’s student crew includes five seniors, three who will be graduating in May. Danielle Zacherl, a senior broadcast communications major from Moundsville, is confident that her experiences with WLU-TV will help take her to higher levels in her career. “Being on the crew didn’t feel like school to me. It felt more like a professional job. That will be the number one benefit when I’m trying to get a job in the real world.” Zacherl was the primary graphics operator for nearly all sports events produced by WLU-TV, and also the producer and host of Inside West Liberty. “I can’t believe that I’ll be leaving, but I know that every single experience, from directing to camera to running graphics, will benefit me so much in the future,” said Zacherl. “I’m so thankful for every moment I had here.”

Kayla Stickley, a senior broadcasting major from Moorefield, WV, reflected on her experiences this past season. “Basketball has always been one of my favorite sports, and working with the crew on these games feels like a blessing. I got every opportunity at West Liberty.” Kayla served in many positions throughout the season, from operating the floor camera in basketball to sideline reporting and running instant replay.

Samantha Gretchen, a senior from McMechen, WV, is also very pleased with the opportunities she received at West Liberty. Gretchen, who served as a sideline reporter for both football and basketball will carry these experiences with her. “Interviewing people like Coach Crutchfield and the players was an opportunity that I don’t think I would have received anywhere else. Learning from these experiences will help me out in my future career as a reporter, and I know I’ll always be able to carry these lessons with me.”

From Left to Right Abby Warne, Mackenzie Casto, Kayla Stickley, Robert Hicks, Sophia Gretchen, Aaron Stricker, Samantha Gretchen, Danielle Zacherl, Austin Wright, Emily Unnone, Zach Cochran, Chuck Scatterday, Jake Flatley, Theresa Gretchen, Mike Drahos, Reid Amos, Jared Thompson. Photo by Clair Pockl

Other seniors with the broadcasting crew include Jared Bailey, a broadcasting major from Parkersburg, WV, Zach Cochran, a digital media design major from Jane Lew, WV, and Clair Pockl, a digital media design student from Mount Olivet, WV.

Of course, graduations are always a bittersweet moment; something Theresa Gretchen has to face every year. “I always tell everyone that I couldn’t do one day of my job without the hard work and dedication of The WLU-TV student crew. All of [them] are among the hardest working students at WLU. I have a huge family thanks to my job and each of [them] always know where to find me. I’ll give [them] all the same advice I’ve given every crew member – a bit of advice that my Pappy passed down to me- ‘Never forget where you came from, always believe in yourself and find an opportunity in every obstacle.’ I love each of [them] and feel blessed that our paths crossed! Go get ‘em kids!”

- Story by Jared Thompson

While Jon was enrolled at WLU, he also worked part-time at WTRF7 in Wheeling WV as a weekend Digital Journalist. While working at WTRF, Jon worked on many popular stories such as the Stubenville Teen Rape Investigation, Rep. Paul Ryan’s visit, and Gov Mitt Romney’s visit. Jon left WTRF shortly after he graduated in December 2012.

After graduation, Jon received a job working at WTKR News Channel 3 in Norfolk, VA. Jon works as a full-time Photojournalist at News Channel 3.  He is the third WLU graduate to work at WTKR following graduates Van Applegate, and Sean Forester.

Outside of his job, Jon loves comedy and is a sports junkie. Jon is a Steelers, Penguins, Knicks and Yankees fan, and rarely misses a game.

Jon is grateful of the opportunities that he received while attending West Liberty. He feels as if the experiences and mentoring he received on the hilltop helped him greatly for employment after school.

Applegate is a successful television photojournalist who gained a deluge of followers from covering hurricanes — like Sandy, Irene and Earl. Applegate covered the storms every summer since 2009, when he worked in Norfolk, Va., at WTKR-TV for three years prior WJLA. During Irene, he worked in the hard-hit Outer Banks, N.C. region. Applegate thought he was out of the path of hurricanes when he started his job in D.C. in July ’12. But then Sandy reared its ugly head and he was back chasing storms. His live video and social media posts while covering the crash of an F-18 fighter jet in Virginia Beach in April ’12 garnered attention from CNN, NPR, and BBC. He is now covering the news in the nation’s capital. Applegate is an Emmy Award winning journalist for an expose he shot and edited on underage prostitution, his work is both attention getting and compassionate.

In his spare time he enjoys still photography and golf. He resides in Charles Town, WV, with his wife, Megan.

Philip Stahl is a 2010 Dean’s List graduate of West Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications with a Broadcasting Concentration.  In college, Philip took the initiative to co-create, produce and host the very first student-produced show at WLTV-14.  The show “Inside West Liberty” ran for 65 episodes before Philip graduated.  He also produced, anchored, and hunted down stories for the station’s bi-weekly newscast, “Newsline14,” for two years. While on the WLTV student crew, Philip had the honor of serving as the student crew manager for his senior year.

Philip Stahl joined WTOV-TV9 in the Steubenville, Ohio / Wheeling, West Virginia area in March 2010. He currently anchors the weekend editions of NEWS9 at Six and NEWS9 Tonight and primarily works out of the NEWS9 Wheeling Newsroom, where you can catch him reporting throughout the week.

A Wheeling, West Virginia native, Philip is proud to call the Ohio Valley home.  Since his teenage years, it was one of his goals to work at WTOV9 and attend West Liberty University.  A 2006 graduate of Wheeling Park High School, he knew television news was for him when he started taking television and radio classes and learned to love it all!

He also is a proud Eagle Scout from Troop 6 in Wheeling.  Philip also received several volunteerism awards. He was presented with the distinguished 2006 Governor’s Service Award by then West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin.

Philip enjoys comedy, and spending time with his close friends. There are many memories and friends that he created while attending West Liberty University and working for WLTV-TV14.

His favorite memories are working football and basketball games on the weekends, the celebration of West Liberty State College becoming a University in 2009, Election nights, hanging out at the Roadworthy, and doing impressions of people to make others laugh.

Philip is proud to be an alumnus of West Liberty University and part of the original student crew of WLTV-14.

He can always be reached at pstahl@westliberty.edu.

Before there she was two hours north in Parkersburg, West Virginia and Marietta, Ohio at WTAP-TV. It was her first job in broadcast news. She did everything from fill in anchor to reporting, to weather on the weekends. This early experience gave Lauren a taste of the business and lifelong friends she still keeps in touch with today.

A graduate from West Liberty University with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Broadcast Media. Lauren anchored, reported and produced a student run shop known as WLTV. She also was the station manager at the college’s radio station WGLZ. It was here during her college career Lauren got an internship of a lifetime in our nation’s capital to work under Bonnie Erbe the creator of the PBS show To The Contrary. It was there Lauren says, “a fire was lit in her to be in the business and tell stories that matter.”

Lauren considers herself to always be looking at the positive in life and tries to find humor in everyday. When Lauren isn’t working she can be found spending time with her husband and their black lab Stella. If she isn’t giving Stella a long walk she’s cooking up one of her mother’s or mother-in-law’s family recipes or getting lost in a good book or cheering on her West Virginia Mountaineers. Lauren is thrilled to start a new chapter in her life and career here in the Grand Strand at WMBF. If you see her out don’t hesitate to say hello. You can see Lauren reporting through the week and anchoring the weekend morning show starting at 7:00 a.m.

Emily is a freshman broadcasting major