West Virginia Student Selected as 'Roving Reporter of the Year'

Aug. 26, 2009— -- Kasey Hott, a senior broadcast news major from West Virginia University, was selected as "Roving Reporter of the Year" by the ABC News On Campus management team.

Journalism students from around the country submitted videos through the Roving Reporter online submission form. In the end, the selection committee chose Hott based on the quality of two thorough and powerful submissions, which were both featured on ABCNews.com: "Recession-Proof City," a package about Morgantown, W.V., and "Virginia Tech's Legacy of Safety," a package commemorating the second anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings.

ABC News provided Hott, 21, with an all-expense paid stay in New York City Aug.18-19 to meet with ABC News executives and visit the "Good Morning America" studios.

"The whole day was so incredible but I think the moment I'll remember most is getting to meet Diane Sawyer," said Hott, who grew up watching ABC's "Primetime" and "20/20."

"I've always admired her, growing up, and to meet her, she was just so sweet and kind and something I'll never forget. She's exactly what I imagined her to be: classy and down to earth. Just the fact that she even took the time to talk to a college student who wants to be a reporter really says a lot about her character."

When Hott found out she had won, she was delighted -- and surprised.

"I did not even know about the competition -- my professor at West Virginia University knew about the ABC News on Campus Web site and she submitted a couple of my stories. The first one -- I didn't even know she was going to submit it. And I was really excited to know that ABC had chosen me for the Web site."

The good news that she had won came from graduate assistant Steve Butera, a fan of Hott's who had worked with her at the journalism school.

Roving Reporter at ABC News

"He said, 'I think I have some good news -- they are picking one reporter out of all the submissions and I think they chose you,'" Hott recalled.

"I didn't believe it -- I thought there was no way. I didn't believe it until I got the [official] letter."

When she graduates from WVU in December, Hott will pursue a job as a reporter or producer.

"I know It's a really hard business to break into and I really like all aspects of this field -- I love to write, shoot video and edit, and in the future I hope to be a reporter," Hott said. "I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go but I'm really excited to learn all that I can about this field."

The Roving Reporter program at ABC News invites journalism students at accredited colleges to submit video, text or photos for potential use on ABCNews.com or on television. It is an extension of the ABC News On Campus program established last year, which provides students with an opportunity to report on stories in their areas and produce a wide array of content for ABC News digital and broadcast platforms. There are six college bureaus participating in the On Campus program.

When asked what advice she would give to other aspiring journalists, Hott said, "I know I still have a lot to learn myself, but the advice I'd give to students just starting out is that you can never learn too much -- take advantage of any internship opportunity."

Hott is no stranger to the internship process, having completed five of them during her college career.

"In this field, the only way to learn is to put yourself out there and give it a shot," she said.

"I'm so thankful that ABC News On Campus gave me this opportunity -- and I would have never imagined that a small-town girl from West Virginia would get the chance to visit ABC News in New York and meet all of these incredible people. It's something I'll never forget."