Alumna Captures Olympic Moments
“I was a very fresh, 22-year-old college graduate when I worked the Tokyo Olympics,” Michales reminisces. “It already was a massive dream come true to work on the team. I don’t think I ever could’ve imagined that the work I did on my first job upon graduation would result in a Sports Emmy!”
Growing up, Michales developed a love of track & field and cross country from watching the Olympics. The 2012 Summer Olympics in London stand out in Michales’ memory because that was when she watched the men’s 10k.
“The emotion was so palpable, even on TV,” Michales says. “I hadn’t ever really run before — but that was the race that made me want to join the middle school track team. I wanted to experience that friendship and camaraderie that runners and teammates possess. Five years later, I was heading to Susquehanna to run distance on the cross-country and track teams.”
During her time at Susquehanna, Michales became a founding member of the university’s chapter of the Association for Women in Sports Media. During the summer of 2019, organization members attended a conference where Michales first interacted with NBC Sports.
One of the recruiters was looking for applicants for their Tokyo internship program. Michaels landed the internship — just before the start of the Covid pandemic.
“With the pandemic, the entire program was canceled. But they kept my contact information in case any jobs came up,” she recalls. “In the spring of my senior year, I was offered two Olympic freelance positions.”
Two weeks after graduation, the broadcasting and Spanish studies double major was on a plane bound for Tokyo.
“Susquehanna set me up for success because I felt confident in my abilities and was ready to embrace change,” Michales reflects. “The university supports and encourages curiosity in their students – whether that be inside the classroom, in on-campus jobs or during internships. This curiosity and genuine love for learning has been the backbone for my success at NBC Sports.”
