When New Jersey native Alexa Ramos JMS’15 entered Rutgers as a freshman, she quickly realized she wanted to major in Journalism and Media Studies. “I was confident in the JMS program, which I thought was solid and showed so much depth, growth, and success.”

At Rutgers, she became involved in campus activities and internships, which helped her build professional skills and a large network. Initially recruited to play softball at Rutgers, Ramos joined club softball; became involved with RVision; the Society of Professional Journalists; and The Daily Targum.

She also held 11 internships at organizations ranging from the New Jersey Jackals, the New York Yankees, WFAN Sports Radio, the Rutgers Athletic Communications Department, and Madison Square Garden.

Rutgers’ location in New Jersey, places it “in between two major cities, Philadelphia and New York City,” Ramos said. “Rutgers is in this hotbed– I don't know how people are missing this. This is a very big deal. There are people from all over the country who are trying to get over here, and I'm blessed enough to live here my whole life.”

Her instincts worked, and her path ultimately led her to where she is today: Manager of Youth Content at Major League Baseball.

In our Q&A with Ramos, she advises current students to “follow your dreams, keep your head up high during stressful times,” and explains how Rutgers helped her grow and leverage her natural journalism skills.

SC&I: How did you get involved at Rutgers? What extracurriculars were you a part of and how did you take advantage of the resources here? 
AR: As I was taking more journalism courses, I started making friends in classes because as you go further, the classes get smaller, and you start recognizing everybody. I met a girl from the hometown where I grew up and she was super passionate about the same things that I was. We got to know each other well, and she was already interning with the Rutgers Athletics Communications Department. She opened an opportunity for me and helped me by introducing me to people and I was able to network myself and get that internship.

Another friend and classmate of mine had a connection with the Yankees and helped me get an internship with them. You never know who you are sitting next to in the classroom. When you are locked in and passionate about something, and you join those extracurriculars…that's when it happens!  

SC&I: You're at MLB now, are there any plans you have there, or is there anything that you’ve wanted to do on your own that you've been thinking about?
AR: I am currently at the Commissioner's Office at Major League Baseball, the league office in New York. Previously I was at MLB Network, as a field producer growing baseball, softball, and girls’ baseball. I am so passionate about giving back and sharing the stories of young athletes, young adults, coaches, and parents. I want to be a part of continuing to grow that, bring that joy and spark, and bring that passion that gets the people who love the game already, to keep playing and new people that don't know it, to start joining in.

SC&I: After you've pursued everything and you're in the industry now, do you have a secret to your success? You’re extroverted, outgoing, and smart–how have you used that to your advantage in the industry?
AR: There's no one secret. There are so many little things that make up the perfect recipe. I'm still trying to figure out all the ingredients, but the biggest key of the secret sauce is being kind to everyone around you. If you're positive, kind, and you’re willing to learn, that's going to propel you more than anyone else around you.

Number two is knowing that you're going to have to step outside of your comfort zone and be okay to sacrifice time, and your social life early so you can enjoy it later! My first job at MLB Network required hours from 5 pm-1 am, 6 pm-2 am… I couldn’t be more grateful to have worked hard during those times, it makes me really appreciate where I am today.

The third biggest thing is you're going to fail. You are going to mess up. This isn't anything you do, but especially in sports media, you're not going to learn everything right away so you must be okay with taking in feedback. It’s okay to be told ‘Hey, you didn't do this right,’ but hopefully, you have good co-workers and leaders who say that to you. Surround yourself with those that want to see you succeed.

Learn more about the Journalism and Media Studies major at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website.

Photo captions: Top: Ramos producing an Astros game at Minute Maid Park; middle: Ramos holding her Emmy during a visit to Steve Miller's Critical Issues in Sports Media class (photo credit: Julia Friedman); bottom: Ramos being honored at the Italian American Baseball Foundation gala. Photos: Courtesy of Alexa Ramos.