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Alumna Kailen Olison's Journey to ESPN

Kentucky State University (KSU) alumna, Kailen Olison, currently works as an assignment editor for ESPN. Only three months in, she already sees the position as a perfect fit for her.

“I love that I can mix both of my passions together. I was an athlete growing up and I love to communicate. Being able to mix the two is a dream come true. I never feel like I’m going to work,” she said.

Although Olison is now confidently in her career path, her career goals weren’t always clear at the start. As an incoming freshman in 2017, Olison’s athletic background earned her a softball scholarship at KSU. At the time, she did not yet know what major she wanted to study.

“My first year I went in undecided,” she explained. “Then I took Dr. Shabazz’s photography class... I didn’t even need a camera because whenever I would see something pretty, I would just snap a photo of it...When it was time to upload certain photos, I had all of them on my phone already. That sparked my interest in photography.”

After completing the course, she went on to take another photography course where she was able to work with a professional camera.

“Dr. Shabazz was a great mentor during that time. He saw my potential and kept pushing me to do these things. And that’s when I asked, ‘How can this fall in line with a degree?’ That’s where communications came from,” said Olison.

With the guidance of her professor, Dr. David Shabazz, Olison’s passion grew and her experience in photography courses motivated her to purchase her own DSLR camera with the help of her grandmother.

“I truthfully believe in the term ‘it takes a village.’ I had to return the class camera after the semester was over and I was heartbroken. I expressed my passion for photography to my Granny and she rewarded me with my own DSLR camera. Moments like that drive me; my village only ever wants what’s best from me. I cannot thank them enough,” she said.

In the following semester, she was able to use the camera to assist with KSU’s student newspaper, Thorobred News. An article Olison wrote for the paper would later go on to earn second place for best sports page in the Kentucky Press Association’s 2020 KPA News Excellence in Kentucky Newspapers. Additionally, with the encouragement of Dr. Shabazz, Olison wrote a screenplay that earned third place in the mobisode/webisode category in the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts in 2021.

After graduating from KSU in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, Olison interned with KSU’s athletic department. The experience allowed her to later land a job at WHAS 11 News in Louisville, KY. She continued to develop her skillset before starting her current position at ESPN in February 2025.

“Kentucky State definitely prepared me because it taught me grit,” she said. “It taught me that if you want it, you’re going to go after it regardless of the resources you have.”

Olison continues to dream big and aspires to be a field producer one day.