Lights, camera, action, butterflies! Nothing can prepare a young reporter for their first live television interview – except maybe some personal advice from professionals who do it every single day.

That’s the scene that unfolded this summer as the students tapped to participate in Suffolk in the City – a program that lets undergraduates report live on NECN twice a week – had the rare opportunity to meet with Morning Show anchors Steve Aveson and Bridget Blythe.

Blythe and Aveson visited with students at Suffolk’s state-of-the-art Studio 73. They shared tips for overcoming nerves and dead air, putting the new reporters at ease.

Greg Gatlin, Suffolk’s vice president of marketing and communications, who sat in on the session, was struck by the level of personalized instruction involved:

“It’s incredibly rare for students at any university to get the kind of coaching and input that took place right there in Studio 73 with Steve and Bridget,” says Gatlin. “They were sharing their experiences in this really candid way that you don’t often get to hear as a student – what to do when you screw up a live shot, how to own your mistakes, and how to develop your own reporting personality rather

than trying to sound like a

seasoned broadcaster. Watching students learn from this caliber of professionals and take the lessons to heart was amazing.”

Following the meeting at Suffolk, the students returned the visit, touring NECN and helping out at The Morning Show.

“Not only did our students have the invaluable experience of getting one-on-one advice from seasoned professionals like Steve and Bridget, but they also had the chance to see the inner workings of a network studio,” explains Jerry Glendye, professor and manager of Studio 73. “It’s exciting to see our exceptional students really seizing these opportunities made possible by our strong relationship with NECN.”