STU student hopes to 'score' contract
Published Monday November 16th, 2009
Reality show | Down to final 5 competitors
Jayne Erickson can't believe her good fortune.
The fourth-year St. Thomas University journalism student was chosen as a top finalist in The Score's Drafted, a national reality sportscaster show.
Erickson, a native of Nova Scotia, is the only female and student left in the competition.
If she wins, she will kick-start her journalism career with a one-year contract as a sportscaster with The Score.
"It's pretty incredible to be a part of all this," Erickson said. "At home, we always have The Score on TV, so it's pretty surreal to be on the show. It's exciting."
Erickson didn't plan on entering the competition.
But with a little encouragement from her mother, she sent in her application on the last day for submissions.
"I'm glad I did it because I feel at this point, even if I don't win, I've gained some valuable insight into the field and made some contacts that might help me in my future job hunt," she said.
"In addition to that, this has really changed my perspective from being a glass-half-empty kind of girl. I hope to approach everything now with a positive attitude because really, what have you got to lose?"
Drafted: The Search for Canada's Next Sportscaster, sponsored by Gillette, requires each participate to compete in a series of on-air challenges including celebrity interviews, compiling highlight reels for sports games, and acting as anchor for The Score.
Erickson admits she hasn't aced every challenge, but she's having fun and loves every minute of it.
"There are times when it's pretty nerve-racking, but with my journalism training from STU, I feel pretty confident in front of a camera," she said. "Every experience is one more thing preparing for the real world when I actually start marketing myself for a job."
Erickson's application was one of 60 from Atlantic Canada that caught the judges' attention.
As a result, she was flown to Halifax during the summer months to compete for one of the top spots.
As part of that, each contestant was asked to act as spokesperson for Gillette. Erickson finished off her taping with, "Gillette, like me, the best a man can get."
Her witty one-liners and confidence on camera won her a spot in the Top 5.
"I'm just trying to be myself and act as natural as I can," she said. "But I'm also trying to have fun with it. And I think I'm doing a good job. At this point, there's some pressure representing women on the show, but I think I'm handling it well."
Debbie Erickson, Jayne's mother, couldn't be more proud of her daughter. She said she views this experience as a way for her daughter to get started in the journalism business.
The 15 minutes of fame she's getting as a result are just a bonus, Debbie said.
"I think she's carried herself well and hasn't allowed the publicity to go to her head," Debbie said. "It's extremely exciting to see how well she's doing and how natural she looks on television. It has really hit home now that she's almost done being a student and (broadcast) journalism really is her passion and what she's going to do as a living. It's great to see her grow in her chosen field."
Jayne recently spent about two weeks in Toronto filming for The Score and competing in more challenges.
She, and the other four contestants, will return to Toronto in December for the final leg of the competition and to tape the finale.
"I'm not entirely sure when the winner will be announced, but honestly, I've spent enough time with the other four contestants to know that Gillette and The Score have a hard decision ahead of them because the other four are just as deserving of the contract," she said.
"The time I've spent with The Score has made me realize though how much I want this job. They really love what they do, and I hope to someday be a part of a newsroom like that."
To track Erickson's progress, visit www.drafted.ca.
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