Alumna Blair Spitzer Used Skills Learned at UK to Land Associate Director Job at CBS News

University of Kentucky alumna Blair Spitzer starts her workday not knowing what the day will bring — but is ready for the challenges of live television, thanks to her experiences learned as a UK student. The 2013 graduate from the School of Journalism and Media in the College of Communication and Information is currently an associate director at CBS News in New York.

“In my position at 'CBS This Morning,' I’m in charge of updating the show for the Midwest and West Coast feed,” Spitzer said. “The shows are not only edited in my room, but fed out to the world in my room, so I hold a lot of really cool responsibilities. It’s exciting, with live television anything can happen.”

However, Spitzer wasn’t always sure of what her passion was. Spitzer started her professional journey as a UK student who was simply trying to figure out what she wanted to do for her career. In her sophomore year she declared her major of journalism and fell in love. Following her already existent love of sports, and her newfound passion for journalism, she was determined to find something that she loved doing every day. Spitzer applied for an internship at a local Lexington news station, and the rest is history. From her internship with the local station, she applied for another internship at CBS, which grew into her current job.

Spitzer credits UK and CI for the lessons she learned while working in live television during college — which help her every day in her job at CBS News in New York.

“UK set the foundation by taking it back to the basics. Working with my professors and classmates I learned the basics of teamwork and communicating. Even though we are in a business of communication, it’s hard to be the communicator. I find communication important in all aspects of jobs not just in communications of journalism itself,” Spitzer said. “Internships and real life experience are very important, and at UK they are there to help you receive that. Without my internships I would have had no idea of the endless possibilities in television.”

Spitzer is very proud to be a Wildcat — even sporting the nickname "Kentucky" at work.

For the Wildcats that have yet to figure out their future, Spitzer has this advice, “If you want to figure out what you’re passionate about, start with what you love, what makes you happy, what makes you wake up every day and makes you want to get out the door. For me, that started with UK basketball and I found a job from there that I love.”

Watch the video above to learn more about why Spitzer enjoys her job — and why she loves telling everyone she works with that she is a UK grad.