Depending on the season, Bridget Linton is most likely to be found courtside at a Cleveland Cavaliers game, near the ice at a Columbus Blue Jackets match, or at Progressive Field for a Cleveland Indians game. Microphone in hand, she is “living my dream” doing interviews with players and fans for FOX Sports Ohio and Sports Time Ohio.
When the 2009 Green High School graduate arrived at UA for her freshman year, she had no major or career in mind.
“I always wanted to be in the spotlight, I always wanted to be famous, I always wanted to perform. Then I came to college and discovered being famous wasn’t a major,” Linton recalls, laughing.
VIDEO: What Bridget says about her Akron Experience
A talent for writing soon led Linton toward communication. Time spent in the studio led her to focus on media studies. Being a member of UA’s dance team fueled her love of sports.
“I love media and I love sports,” says Linton. “That’s what I wanted to do — sports broadcasting.”
With encouragement from her professors, she started working at Z-TV, the student-run television station on campus. Soon, Linton was a field reporter for the news show, “Lights, Camera, Akron” and host of “Sports Report.” When she wasn’t on camera, she was learning to operate one. She honed her reporting skills and learned to edit her stories.
Bridget Linton on air doing sports coverage.
Her poise on camera and a willingness to work hard are not surprising. An Irish dancer since age 6, Linton has competed all over North America, Ireland and Scotland, and is a seven-time world qualifier and medal holder.
“I learned at a very young age what it took to be successful,” notes Linton. “I learned the power of dedication. I learned the power of hard work. You get out of it what you put into it. Those tools have followed me throughout the rest of my life, and they’ve helped in my career now as well.”
By the time she neared graduation in 2013, Linton had an impressive demo reel that showcased the range of work she had done as a student.
“The University of Akron definitely prepared me for the real world,” says Linton. “To be able to graduate and land a job like this right out of college? I graduated on Aug. 17, and on Aug. 23, I got the call that I was hired.”
Snapshot: Bridget Linton
- Earned a B.A. in Mass Communication with a minor in sports management at The University of Akron in 2013
- Currently: FOX Sports Ohio Girl
- Bridget returned to campus to speak to new students as part of UA's Honors Leadership Summit.
About this series
Incoming Honors College students got their first year here off to an inspiring start when five young alumni returned to speak to them as part of the Honors Leadership Summit. The annual program is hosted by the Institute for Leadership Advancement within the College of Business Administration. The institute, established in 2012 by a $1 million gift from The J.M. Smucker Company, promotes the development of leaders with the unique combination of knowledge, skills and principles needed to make an impact on their organizations early in their careers.
Other speakers in the series:
- Sarah Antonucci, Calfee, Halter & Griswold, LLP in Cleveland
- Scott Eastbourn, Virgin Galactic in California
- Courtney Gras, NASA Glenn, and co-founder and COO of Design Flux Technologies
- Kofi Sarkodie, member of the Houston Dynamo professional soccer team
Capping off the series as keynote speaker was Anthony J. Alexander, president and CEO of FirstEnergy Corporation. He spoke about wise and ethical leadership. He earned accounting and law degrees at UA.
In wide-ranging interviews before their presentations, each graduate talked about the value of his or her UA education. From mentors to motivations, from goal setting to overcoming fear and campus involvement, each shaped an Akron Experience that made them ready for everything that has followed.