Ellie Whittington ‘20 is not your average NC State College of Natural Resources graduate, and her career path looks different than most parks, recreation and tourism management majors. Whittington combined her passion for journalism and sports, and today, she works as a social media freelancer for NBC Sports, covering mega sporting events like the Olympics.
Prior to enrolling at NC State, Whittington had received her bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2018 from Elon University in Elon, North Carolina. While at Elon, she had worked as a social media intern for Major League Baseball in New York City, and then as a news intern for WXII 12 News in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. But sports and the outdoors always held a special place in her heart, so she decided to go on to pursue a master’s degree in parks, recreation and tourism management.
“I still consider myself a journalist at the end of the day,” Whittington said. “I really wanted to specialize in the sports aspect. I had a professor in undergrad, Troy Carlton, who is also a College of Natural Resources alum; he was getting his doctorate at the time under Michael Kanters. Troy is the one who introduced me to Dr. Kanters and the college program, and it just felt like a really natural, good fit for me.”
A Memorable Journey at NC State
With the aid of Carlton, Whittington was encouraged to continue her education at NC State. The Triangle area added to her interest because of its growth in sports. She especially appreciated the small cohort of students she came into the program with, as they became very close and she had the unique experience of taking classes with both master’s and doctoral students.
While studying at NC State, Whittington did a lot of work with the Carolina Hurricanes and the PNC Arena. One memorable experience she will never forget is when she worked as a teaching assistant for the late David “Dave” Olsen, who was the general manager of PNC Arena at the time.
“He allowed our whole grad cohort to go to a Carolina Hurricanes game one day,” Whittington said. “This was really special because some of us were really big sports fans and there were international students who had never been to a hockey game before. It was really cool to share this experience with them and to see the whole Raleigh and NC State experience through a different lens.”
Through an assistantship with Kanters, Whittington conducted research on the elements that influence parents’ decision-making when it comes to allowing their children to play in organized sports. Her research examined how participation in youth sports has been associated with positive health and psychological development outcomes such as improvements in self-esteem, emotional regulation, social skills and academic performance. She also focused on how students can be encouraged to continue to play sports and stay active beyond childhood.
Whittington was scheduled to graduate from NC State in May 2020 but was unable to complete her research for her thesis due to the shift to remote learning and work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A year later, she successfully defended her master’s thesis and graduated with a master’s degree in parks, recreation and tourism management and a graduate certificate in sport and entertainment venue management.
Following graduation, Whittington accepted an offer to work as a social media assistant for the Durham Bulls. She would later go onto work as the assistant director of social media for Duke University’s athletics department.
Spotlighting Athletes on the World Stage
Since the start of her career, Whittington has been given the extraordinary opportunity to cover not one, but three, Olympics games for NBC Sports. During the summer of 2021, NBC Sports offered her the opportunity to remotely cover the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. During the winter of 2022, she covered the 2022 Beijing Olympics. This past summer, she covered the 2024 Paris Olympics remotely from NBC Sports’ headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.
Covering the Olympics has been a beloved experience for Whittington. It not only hits home to her research as a graduate student, but it has also allowed her to give a platform to lesser-known sports and athletes.
“It’s really big when you have family in the stands, so that was really special to see these parents that had never watched their child compete in the Olympics,” Whittington said. “Even if they were in the games in 2021, they were allowed to be there this time. So, seeing these families be able to cheer on and be there in person was really cool.”
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, Whittington worked 13-hour shifts, typically coming into the office at noon and leaving at 1 a.m. She would watch the games live, then she would brainstorm ways that content could be created on social media to elevate the coverage of the athletes. Throughout each day, she posted many highlights of the games across NBC Sports’ social media channels.
Whittington’s most memorable experience during the games was when she helped elevate the presence of a mens’ gymnast named Stephen Nedoroscik. “He became this standout star and that was mostly because of our job at NBC Sports,” Whittington said. “He did this incredible thing but we almost, through our coverage, made him this hero. It’s really special when you have these athletes, that maybe not a lot of people watch men’s gymnastics, and to be able to give them a platform that they normally don’t have and they worked their whole lives, especially the last four years, to be here and we want to give them the coverage.”
Outside of the Olympics, no single week at NBC Sports looks the same for Whittington. Her job involves a lot of traveling to events, whether it be to NASCAR races or whatever sport she is covering at any given time. Her favorite sporting event she has covered to date has been the NASCAR races at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama.
Encouraging Others to Follow Their Dreams
Growing up, Whittington called home a small rural area known as Wilkesboro, North Carolina. When she has the time, she goes back to her hometown to speak to middle and high school students about her career journey and how they can pursue their dreams. “I really try to encourage the next generation that they can get an education, too,” she said.
Whittington’s advice for both current students and students considering the College of Natural Resources: “Follow your dreams. If you have a goal of what you want to do or where you want to be after the College of Natural Resources, don’t give up on that. You have a lot of alumni and professors who want to see you shine, and as they say, ‘The strength of the wolf is the Pack.’ Surround yourself with good people — family, friends, classmates, alumni — and you will go wherever you want to in life.”
When she is not busy creating content for social media, Whittington enjoys being outdoors, waterskiing, hiking, kayaking, and of course, traveling. Her favorite travel destinations are Australia and New Zealand, countries where she said residents seem to take life easier. By nature, Whittington loves to work and both places have really taught her how to slow down and enjoy her surroundings.
- Categories:
