SYRACUSE, N.Y. - There's a saying "what's meant to be will find its way." For Karthik Venkataraman that meant digging deep and working hard regardless of adversity.
After originally wanting to be a doctor, Venkataraman says he decided to become a sports reporter.
"There was a point where I worked in hospitals a lot and got really burnt out by it," he says. "I decided I really wanted to do sports. That was my passion since I was really little."
While at East Tennessee State, Venkataraman started doing play-by-play for the university's soccer and volleyball teams. That's when it became clear to him he had a future in the sports broadcasting industry.
He began working for WKPT and WCYB in the Tri-Cities, Tennessee after graduating from East Tennessee State in 2014.
A few years later he set his mind on one of the best journalism school's in the country, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse.
Getting in turned out to be the easy part.
Once he was accepted into the broadcast and digital journalism graduate program, Venkataraman decided to visit campus for preview day with his parents.
The ten-hour plus road trip from Bristol, Tennessee was cut short.
"I was just looking down at my phone and reading an article. I remember hearing my mom scream. We just got rear ended on the interstate. I was unconscious, by the time the medical staff got there." Venkataraman said.
Venkataraman received a concussion from the wreck, and his parents walked away without injuries. They headed back home after the accident, without visiting Syracuse.
He decided to visit on April 7th, the second preview day, but his flight was cancelled. Twice. He never left the airport.
It didn't stop Venkataraman from deciding to attend school at Newhouse.
"After two times, I thought maybe I'm just not meant to go to Newhouse. I just kept thinking back at the opportunity that you would be able to get going here. I was just driven to get here some way or another"
Venkataraman finally made it to Syracuse the Saturday before orientation on the ten-hour drive from
Bristol, Tennessee.
"I really love my classes and I really love the area."
So far, it looks like the third time really is the charm for him.
Interview: Q&A with Karthik Venkataraman
Link to Interview: https://soundcloud.com/monica-ortiz-281286202/karthik-venkataraman-interview
Q: Did you always know you wanted to be a journalist?
A: No I don't think I did. When I was in high school and college, I originally started off with wanting to be a doctor or a physician assistant. There was a point where I worked in hospitals a lot and got really burnt out by it. I decided I really wanted to do sports. That was my passion since I was really little, and after that I just started doing play-by-play commentating at the university that I attended.
Q: You started off a biology major, how was the transition from biology to the sports industry?
A: It was a lot different. I felt like in my biology major it was a lot of studying, more than being creative. I feel in journalism, you have to be really creative with the way you speak, the way you write, but in biology it was more writing term paper and studying the different organ systems in your body. It's a lot different in that way. Obviously you have to be a lot more outgoing in journalism too.
Q: Why did you decide to come to Newhouse?
A: Syracuse is one of the best schools there is for journalism. There's a lot of great play by play commentators that came through this university. When you just look at the names, Mike Tirico, Sean McDonough, Ian Eagle. I wanna be like those guys. I want to accomplish the same kinds of things that those guys did. That's why it was an obvious choice for me to come to Newhouse.
Q: Who do you look up to the most as a spots journalist?
A: Tom Rinaldi is definitely my favorite. The way he's able to put stories together and bring out a lot of raw emotion with the people that he interviews. Also from his audience I think that's a very rare talent. So I'd have to say him.
Q: Kinda on a different note did you come preview the school before you made a decision to attend school at Newhouse?
A: The first time I came up here, I got into a really bad car accident. We got rear ended on the interstate, near Winchester, Virginia. Our car spun out on the interstate, so we never made it up after that. Then the second time I tried to come up, both my flights got cancelled to come up here, so I was never able to do it. It was actually cancelled the day before, then the day of I tried to come in the morning of orientation. I wasn't able to make it both times. The first time I ever came to Syracuse was the Saturday before classes started.
Q: That first time when you got in a car wreck, were you okay? What happened?
A: I was just looking down at my phone and reading an article. I remember hearing my mom scream. We just got rear ended on the interstate. I was unconscious, by the time the medical staff got there. They were trying to wake me up. They finally did. They took me to the hospital to see if I had any internal bleeding. They diagnosed me with a concussion. Luckily I got away with only a concussion. It could've been a lot worse.
Q: So you were with your family when it happened. Were they alright?
A: Yeah my parents were both fine. They were okay.
Q: The second time when the flight was cancelled did you ever think am I meant to go here? Why is this happening?
A: Yeah, that actually was a lot of my thought. I actually started looking at the other schools that I applied to. I though well you know maybe it's just not meant to work out. I'm kind of that superstitious type. After two times, I thought maybe I'm just not meant to go to Newhouse. I mean I just kept thinking back at, well okay, look at the opportunity that you would be able to get going here. I was just driven to get here some way or another .
Q: Now that you're here how has the transition been?
A: Yeah, I guess third times the charm. I really like the Syracuse area. I wish I had more time to explore. Class work is kind of bogging me down a lot, but it's great. I really love my classes and I really love the area.
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