If Aubrie Tolliver could describe her career in one word, it would probably be “storyteller.”
Tolliver is a multi-media journalist (MMJ) and anchor for 49ers Cal-Hi Sports Report, a program affiliated with the San Francisco 49ers that covers high school athletics in the Bay Area.
Tolliver first honed her skills as a sports journalist working for the STAR newspaper.
“This was my favorite class and I wrote for the paper every year until I graduated in 2016. But, sports writing was not my passion - broadcasting was. So, I chose to further my education,” Tolliver said.
After graduating from SSU, she was accepted into the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, earning a master’s degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism.
“I entered the program thinking I would be immediately behind in the curriculum since I had little experience in broadcast media,” Tolliver said. “But, I quickly learned writing was the backbone for good storytelling in any medium. So, all of those semesters writing for the STAR paid off.”
Upon graduating with honors from Syracuse, Tolliver returned to California to join the Cal-Hi Sports Report. Despite her work as a co-anchor, a key part of her job is crafting stories the audience will want to watch.
“Being an MMJ means I use different types of media - video, audio, pictures, graphics, etcetera - to tell a compelling story. For my job at Cal-Hi Sports, I produce anywhere from 6-10 minutes of content for the hour-long show, aside from my job as co-host,” she said.
Tolliver has a simple, but important, piece of advice for current COMS students: just say “yes.”
“No matter how big or small, say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. Boost up that resume and skillsets! In your professional career, opportunities may be hard to come by,” she said.
“You’ll want to be ready when the door finally opens. Everything you do in the meantime should be preparing you for when that time comes. You want to be as qualified as possible when your dream job opens up!”
You can watch the Cal-Hi Sports Report Sundays at 6 and 10pm on NBC Sports California. Here are links to two of Tolliver’s stories: