North Tama alumna set to cover Super Bowl LX as Fox 13 Seattle sports photographer | News, Sports, Jobs

TRAER — Many years have handed since her days schlepping water bottles and monitoring stats for the Redhawk soccer staff on the sidelines of Dennis Field, however that doesn’t imply North Tama Class of 2012 alumna Stephanie “Steph” Schroeder has forgotten her roots. And this Sunday, Feb. 8, as she covers the 2026 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots (17-3) and the Seattle Seahawks (16-3) at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. as Fox 13 Seattle’s principal sports photographer, Schroeder’s presence on the sidelines ought to definitely present inspiration to any Iowa teen harboring massive goals for their very own future.

Ahead of Super Bowl LX, the newspaper interviewed Schroeder by way of e-mail following her protection of the NFC Championship recreation Jan. 25 throughout which the Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 31-27. In a wide-ranging set of questions, Schroeder traces the trail she took to get the place she is in the present day – a path that features spending the primary dozen years of her life in rural northwest Oregon close to the city of Mulino earlier than transferring along with her dad and mom, Craig and the late Ella Schroeder, to a farm north of Toledo. She attended North Tama Schools, graduating in 2012. Following commencement, she went to Hawkeye Community College the place she earned an Associate of Applied Arts in Digital Mass Media. She counts her fiancée Wes Morelock, dad Craig, stepmom Eva (Schroeder), and her “ride or die since high school” buddy Heidi Blohm as a few of her largest supporters in the present day.

Schroeder’s interview (beneath) has been frivolously edited and condensed for readability.

Please describe your place with Fox 13 Seattle and the trail you took to get there.

In my final semester of faculty, I ended up signing on with KWWL Channel 7 as an intern and as soon as I completed college, they employed me on part-time. I labored there as an editor/photojournalist for a yr earlier than I ended up transferring again to the west coast. Once I used to be again in Oregon, I took a job in Medford at KDRV Newswatch 12 as a full-time editor/photojournalist for a yr, earlier than transferring up north to Portland and getting a job with Fox 12 Oregon. I began there as a part-time weekend editor simply to get my foot within the door, and ultimately after a few yr they promoted me to a full-time photojournalist! I used to be there for just below 5 years in whole, and in 2022 I made the bounce to Seattle. I first was employed by KIRO 7, however I used to be solely there for about seven months or so earlier than I hopped over to Fox 13. I labored within the information division for just a little over two years earlier than making the swap to Sports! In whole, I did about 10 years of common information earlier than I pivoted totally to sports.

Why did you progress to sports protection and what does your job in the present day entail?

I didn’t initially have a aim of overlaying sports. I’ve all the time been a creative-minded particular person and the world of videography/pictures actually appealed to me so I made a decision to pursue a profession in it. The Digital Mass Media program at Hawkeye (Community College) was model new on the time I used to be getting into faculty, so I made a decision to give it a shot, and I had a lot enjoyable! But truthfully, on the time, I believed that my abilities would ultimately take me to Hollywood, or to some promoting company. News didn’t actually cross my thoughts till my second yr of faculty. I can’t bear in mind what class it was, however I distinctly bear in mind there was some extent the place our trainer had us watch “All The President’s Men” … Obviously, the Pentagon Papers/Watergate Scandal was a pivotal second for journalism, however I’d by no means actually understood the gravity of what occurred till I watched that film for the primary time in that class. It was like a lightbulb began to flicker in my mind; the idea of being a journalist had by no means occurred to me earlier than however as soon as I had the thought it was onerous to shake it. Granted, the film itself is about print journalism and doesn’t have something to do with videography, but it surely despatched me down the rabbit gap of ‘I wonder if I could work for a TV news station.’ That’s once I appeared into KWWL, discovered their internship program, and the remainder is historical past. I fell in love with the trade and by no means appeared again.

A photojournalist does rather a lot! We’re primarily liable for capturing video and audio content material from no matter story we’ve been despatched to, however we additionally edit our tales collectively on our laptops, and run reside pictures. … On a typical day I’m going to a follow facility, or a recreation, or another press convention/occasion to get b-roll, interviews after which if I’ve any on-air expertise with me, I might even be taking pictures their standups or a reside shot. This is a reasonably typical workflow for a photojournalist; the one distinction for me is my give attention to sports.

I’ve a big digital camera (Sony XDCAM PDW-700), together with a full package of lights, tripods, microphones, and so forth. and I journey round with that gear to numerous sports-related tales in our space. My digital camera is about 14 lb with every thing connected to it (battery, high gentle, microphone, and so forth), and my tripod is round 9 lb. So like 23-ish once I’m carrying them round. That doesn’t embrace if I’ve a LiveU on my again (it sits like a backpack), which is a tool that enables us to transmit video and audio from our digital camera again reside. That’s in all probability one other couple of kilos on my again. We are fortunate to have carts that we will wheel every thing round in, particularly when I’ve different gear such as my lights with me. But there are a lot of situations the place I can’t carry the cart so I simply have to hoof it with all of the gear packed onto me.

What groups/video games do you cover?

The skilled sports video games I cover are all associated to our native groups. So, the NFL video games I am going to are Seahawks video games, and the MLB video games I am going to are Mariners video games, and so forth. We have a variety of groups right here; Seahawks (NFL), Mariners (MLB), Sounders (MLS), Reign (NWSL), Storm (WNBA), Kraken (NHL), Torrent (PWHL), as properly as a Rugby and Cricket groups, plus we have now faculty groups we cover from each the University of Washington (Huskies) and Washington State University (Cougars).

Have you ever lined a Super Bowl earlier than? What will your work week seem like?

This is my first time attending or overlaying a Super Bowl! We’ll be on the market for the entire week main up to the sport; we fly down on Feb. 1 and received’t be heading house till the ninth! There’s eight of us flying down and we’ll be overlaying every thing from press conferences and official staff appearances, to fan occasions, radio row, and anything occurring. Plus, loooots of reside pictures! It’s going to be a variety of work and a variety of lengthy days for all of us however we’re all tremendous stoked for the chance.

On recreation day I will probably be at Levi’s Stadium, on the sphere, taking pictures the sport! I’ve been on the sidelines for almost all of the Seahawks video games this yr taking pictures highlights, and I’ll be doing the identical for the Super Bowl. I’m tremendous excited for it! Shooting highlights for the Seahawks has by-far been my favourite a part of this job, and the truth that I get to do this on the Super Bowl in my first yr is completely loopy. Honestly it hasn’t totally set in, and I don’t suppose it would till I’m on the sphere.

Following the sport, we’ll have a post-game present to speak about what occurred, after which that Monday we’ll do just a few ultimate issues within the morning earlier than flying house. If the Seahawks win, we’ll be hitting the bottom working again in Seattle to put together for the massive parade! If not, we’ll get a little bit of a break earlier than we have now to begin fascinated about Mariners’ spring coaching. The sports cycle continues!

I’ve to ask, are you a Seahawks fan? Are you a Super Bowl fan?

Yes, and sure! I’ve all the time been an informal Seahawks fan as a result of it was the closest massive NFL staff to the place I initially grew up in Oregon. Even although I’d by no means actually been up to Seattle earlier than we moved right here, I had a little bit of an attachment to the staff. As for the Super Bowl, we didn’t watch it yearly however I do have some fond recollections of watching just a few of them with each my household and my fiancé’s household!

While at North Tama, what actions have been you concerned in? Did something (or anybody) assist information you to the profession you’ve got in the present day?

While I spent most of my extracurricular time doing artsy issues like theater, I did take part in just a few sports right here and there – softball, volleyball, and observe. But I didn’t do them for longer than a yr. The largest factor was I helped handle the highschool soccer staff for 2 years, and that’s the place I actually grew to perceive and love the game. The first yr I used to be a supervisor was my sophomore yr, and that’s the yr our staff went on to win the State Championship Class A Title (2010). It was an unbelievable run and that was my first style of post-season vitality. We have been down 20 factors, however clawed our method again to a lead and received the sport 43-34, and that feeling of watching this staff work their tails off and declare victory was wonderful to be part of. I used to be actually bummed I couldn’t do it for a 3rd time, however I used to be a senior and different obligations bought in the best way. I’m grateful for that point although, as a result of it actually cemented in me a love of soccer, and an appreciation for the work and coronary heart that goes into enjoying a sport.

How excited are you about overlaying the Super Bowl?

I can’t even start to describe how excited I’m. It’s a mixture of pleasure and nervousness, as a result of that is my first time overlaying an occasion this massive. Millions of individuals will probably be watching this recreation. MILLIONS. And I get a entrance row seat to the motion. I get to be ON THE SIDELINES. That’s essentially the most thrilling half for me; by no means did I believe my profession would lead me to a chance like this. I’m so grateful for it although, and I’m going to get pleasure from each second of it! … This total season has been like that actually, and I do know that these moments will stick with me for the remainder of my life. It’s been a pleasure to be part of it.

Any recommendation you’d like to share with present North Tama college students relating to pursuing their very own goals after highschool?

Honestly, I might say don’t be afraid to do what you’re keen on. You’ll in all probability run into lots of people who’ve a variety of opinions about how you need to form your future, however life is just too quick to spend it doing one thing you don’t love. Don’t put your self in a field; the world is a brighter place when individuals permit themselves to be who they need to be and do what they need to do.