The Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recognized the Walter Cronkite School’s director of career services for his business and educational contributions to journalism Saturday.
The ceremony, which was held at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Phoenix, honored Mike Wong on Saturday with a Silver Circle.
The Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter has two circles for individuals impacting and serving the television, art and science industries. The Gold Circle is for those who served for 50 years minimum, and Silver Circle members have dedicated at least 25 years. Wong, with 28 years of experience under his belt, was inducted into the Silver Circle.
“I feel it’s an honor,” Wong said. “I feel kind of humbled. There are a lot of people in the Silver Circle Society, and to be put in that company is humbling. It’s a great honor, and I appreciate the board for recognizing my contributions.”
Wong started his career in 1983 at KPNX-TV and moved on to managing the news and public affairs at Channel 8/KAET Phoenix four years later. He began coordinating internships for Cronkite broadcast students in 1999.
When he first started, he had 40 to 50 students a year apply for internships. He received his current title and started organizing internships full time in 2006. Now, he helps 130 to 140 broadcast students land internships, along with public-relations and print-journalism students, bringing the total to 600 students a year.
“I know our students have benefited from his expertise and experience,” said Cronkite Assistant Dean Mark Lodato, who nominated Wong for the honor. “He has a unique legacy he is building. You can find a student of his all across the country from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between.”
While Wong appreciates the respected membership, he said his real happiness is in assisting students.
“Like I said, I’m kind of tickled and humbled to be inducted,” Wong said. “Awards are nice, but the real reward is helping students in the news business.”
Senior broadcast-journalism student Isaac Easley also said Wong really cares about the students.
He said that when he first started college, he was intimidated and wasn’t sure if he had chosen the right major.
“Without him, I probably would not still be here,” Easley said. “Mike Wong was there for me. When I felt like changing majors, he’d tell me ‘Stay there, you’re doing fine.’ He’s been a rock for me.”
Easley founded his relationship with Wong his freshman year, in fall 2008. Wong helped him land his first internship with ABC15 Sports and set up four more internships for Easley as he progressed in school.
Easley believes Wong is crucial to Cronkite because for journalism students, “if you don’t have an internship, you aren’t going anywhere.”
Wong and Easley are currently discussing job applications.
“He’s one of the best people I’ve met, and I owe everything I achieved here to Mike Wong,” Easley said.
Wong’s devotion to students doesn’t end once they graduate. Wong tweets whenever a graduate gets a new job or receives a promotion.
“I tweet it because I’m happy and proud that the former student is going upward and onward,” Wong said, known as mrconnect on Twitter.
Wong said he will continue to do what he loves: helping connect students to opportunities to better prepare them for professional jobs.
Contact the reporter at alicia.m.canales@asu.edu
