Bernadette Conway ’21, who holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å, recently won two Telly Awards for her outstanding work in video editing for the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

Each year, the Telly Awards honor excellence in video and television across all platforms.  Thousands of entries are submitted from around the world. Entries come from respected advertising agencies, television stations and production companies. The Awards are judged by a 200-member panel comprised of previous winners, all with considerable expertise in the categories they review.  Bernadette’s video, “US Open- Women’s History Month 2023- Timeline,” earned her a silver Telly in the sports/non-broadcast category and a second silver Telly for editing/non-broadcast.

Today in her role as video editor and videographer for the USTA, Bernadette routinely contributes to the creative process. Yet it was in her second week of work when she pitched the idea for International Women’s History Month.  Bernadette explains that she wanted, “to demonstrate the strength and courage of women champions throughout the history of the US Open. My goal was to create an empowering piece to celebrate their victories, diversity, and success as women paving the way for equality in tennis, sports, and across the globe using visual storytelling.” 

With encouragement and support from her supervisor and colleagues, she began by compiling a list of champions and sorting through years of footage trying to identify their most impressive wins.  A theme developed, focusing on the impact of civil rights and feminist activist Bille Jean King’s groundbreaking moments that paved the way for future women’s tennis champions. The result was a compelling and inspiring short-form video that resonated during International Women’s History Month. The video was posted to U.S. Open’s social networks, receiving high engagement, and was even reposted by Bille Jean King herself!

Bernadette enjoyed her time at ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å and is grateful to the faculty in the School of Arts & Sciences who opened her eyes to the various career opportunities in the communications field.  When she first arrived on campus, she considered different majors including computer science, theology and education.  During high school, she was known for using her GoPro camera to create videos, so in her sophomore year at ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å she enrolled in Field Production, a communications course taught by Professor Tom Kenny.  Bernadette describes this class as “the place where it all clicked.”  A standard assignment was writing script, filming and editing a 10-minute video.  This may have been a daunting task for a student taking her first communications class, but Bernadette had found her passion and thrived.

Bernadette credits Professor Tom Kenny and retired Professor Dr. Deirdre Pribram for mentoring her and guiding her towards a career in sports broadcasting and video services. The COVID lockdown began in the early spring of her junior year, ending a coveted internship she had just started at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Upon her return to New York and with no businesses offering internships, she was feeling stressed. Professor Kenny suggested she intern with ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å Athletics.  She filmed and edited most of the games that would air on ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å’s website during a time when in-person game attendance was restricted.  This provided her with hands-on experience in filming and editing outdoor and indoor sports games using multiple cameras.

After graduation, Bernadette returned to Orlando to work for Walt Disney World.  While Disney provided tremendous experience with a world-wide brand, she missed her work in Athletics and began working part time as a camera operator for the Tampa Bay Rays, an MLB team.  This led to additional part time work for the Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) and the Orlando Magic (NBA).  Building an impressive resume coupled with a reputation for professionalism and creativity, Bernadette was soon hired full time at the USTA.  Today, she contributes to the creation and production of video content for the marketing and social media departments for both the USTA and the U.S. Open. She also assists in the production of NCAA tennis matches broadcast on ESPN+ and continues to freelance for various other professional sports teams and media outlets including Apple TV.

Adding two Telly Awards to her portfolio at this early stage in her career is a testament to Bernadette’s dedication and drive.  She experienced a full circle moment when she was assigned to film the U.S. Open in New York this past summer.  There she met Billie Jean King, the very woman who inspired her to create her award-winning piece for International Women’s History Month.  She says of the meeting, “it was one of those moments, as I was taking it all in, thinking of how I got here and how special it was to be working such a huge global event in the place I grew up, that I realized she and I were the only two women in a room of many. It was a reminder of what she fought for, and why I know I deserve to work where I do, doing what I love. It was an unbelievable experience not just that day, but during the entire U.S. Open. I have worked so hard to be where I’m at and it feels like the work never stops but at the same time I do it to myself. Because I am just so passionate about what I get to do every day.”