Emma Childs, a Franklin High School alum and daughter of Franklin’s former librarian, Sandra “Sunny” Childs, is now living in Austin, Texas, where she is pursuing a job in marketing. Although Childs did not find herself taking any journalism courses in high school, she was involved in other activities that kept her busy around Franklin. Childs was always an avid fan of sports: she played soccer up until high school, where she found her new interest in running. She became very invested and figured she might want to study something that incorporated sports into her everyday practice. Broadcasting was a way for her to interact with sports as a way of reporting. That’s how Childs came to the idea of journalism, especially broadcasting.
Childs grew up here in Portland, attending Atkinson Elementary up until third grade, then transferring over to Sunnyside Environmental School to finish up her elementary and middle school years. From there, Childs went on to be an important member of the Franklin student body. During her four years at Franklin, Childs was an avid member of the track and cross country teams, gaining the title of Team Captain for her senior year. She was also actively involved in student government and held the title of Vice President for her graduating class. “I’m a very hands-on [type of person.] I like planning things, organizing, and communicating with people,” says Childs.
In the fall of 2014, Childs attended the University of Oregon Honors college, where she majored in journalism with a focus on broadcasting. Some aspects of the campus that stood out to her were the amazing sports scene they had to offer, as well as all the lovely people around. Childs was able to meet some of her closest friends through Oregon and find a career she was passionate about. During her college experience, Childs was a part of the sports section of Duck TV, the student-run station on campus. Through this opportunity, Childs got experience being both a reporter and a producer.
Throughout her time with Duck TV, Childs was “exposed to a lot of Oregon’s sports, which are pretty high caliber.” Gaining hands-on experience on the student station granted many internships and access to ”fan-favorite” games as a reporter. Apart from being a reporter on sporting events, Childs stepped into the fitness training realm and picked up a job at the Student Recreation Center. During her time there, she helped out in the weight rooms and managed the front desk.
During Childs’s final year of college, she became a fitness instructor. When she was outside of the gym, she could be found hanging out with the Association for Women in Sports Media, an international chapter that plans events to get journalists connected with each other as well as opportunities. “I got to meet some really cool national journalists in the sports world that have made themselves a name,” says Childs when sharing her biggest take away from her time in the organization.
In 2018, Childs graduated and moved to Eastern Washington, where she started her first job at a news station. After about a year, Childs realized that as much as it was an amazing experience, it wasn’t what she wanted to pursue for the rest of her life. She quickly packed up and moved back to Portland, where she found her current job. Childs now works for Logical Position, a digital marketing agency, as a senior account manager. Her title consists of managing a book of clients and helping run their Facebook and Instagram advertisements. Even though Childs didn’t end up working in the journalism field, she was able to use the tools she learned throughout her education to be successful in her position. “I learned how to communicate and tell people’s stories,” says Childs. “You are learning about other people and connecting with them.”
At the end of the day, Childs is happy where she landed and plans on staying in her current field, but would enjoy seeing sports incorporated. “My goal [is]to work for a sports team somehow at some point in my life […] but more on the marketing side of things.”
Childs’s biggest piece of advice to any student pursuing a job in the broadcasting industry is to “be curious and willing to move anywhere,” as well as to “participate in anything and everything that you can.” Childs wishes she had taken more advantage of the opportunities her college had to offer instead of just worrying about her core curriculum. Nevertheless, Childs is happy with the path she has chosen and has no regrets on how she got to her current destination.
