Student spotlight: Brandon Karafilis

by Public Relations | October 18, 2024

LATROBE, PA - Brandon Karafilis had a lightbulb moment near the end of his freshman year at Saint Vincent College. He loved to write and was set to major in English, yet something didn't feel quite right.

"One day when I was in English class, I was like, 'This is nice. This is cool. But this kind of writing isn't exactly what I want to do,'" Karafilis recalled.

Unsure about how to steer his academic career, Karafilis sat down with his advisor, Dave Safin, associate professor and chair of the Visual Arts and Media Department in the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Talking it over with Safin, Karafilis realized he was keenly interested in journalism, particularly sports writing. Karafilis switched his major to communication and media studies with minors in marketing and digital art.

"What I like about communication is how it includes a lot of other stuff, like video and photography," said Karafilis, a senior from Castle Shannon. "That way, I can have a fallback plan if I can't [get a job as a sports reporter]."

Then again, Karafilis might not need a Plan B. He has gotten extensive experience over the past year as a freelance reporter for the Latrobe Bulletin. Last summer, he worked a digital media internship at Fallingwater. A few weeks ago, he began an internship as a writer for the Pittsburgh Penguins' official website.

"Brandon has taken advantage of every opportunity given to him and it is paying off," Safin said. "It shows how far our students can go when they are bright and motivated."

After finding his niche, Karafilis began seeking ways to gain firsthand experience as a reporter.

"Everything you do in class is beneficial and improves your skill set, but the independent work you do outside the classroom really helps you get noticed," Karafilis said. "Realizing I had to get the ball rolling on things like internships has made me want to hustle a little bit more."

Safin introduced Karafilis and a few other students to the editors at the Latrobe Bulletin, who offered to set up the young writers with freelance gigs. Karafilis covered the Saint Vincent College club hockey team-a perfect way to gain practical journalism experience while being around his favorite sport.

"My first story [in the paper], I remember rereading it like three or four times because I was so excited," Karafilis said with a smile. "Every time I had an article out, my mom wanted me to go to the store and buy a newspaper so she could make a [scrapbook] out of it."

Saint Vincent went 15-3 and ended the season ranked No. 24 in the country. The Polar Bearcats beat Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 3-2, to win the College Hockey East M3 championship and earn a trip to the American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 3 national tournament.

"Covering that whole [season], especially the playoff games, was my favorite moment so far at Saint Vincent," Karafilis said.

Last summer, Karafilis spent 10 weeks as the 2024 Fawcett Digital Media Intern at Fallingwater, the house designed in 1935 by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Karafilis worked for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy's communications department, mainly creating Instagram and YouTube videos for the Fallingwater Institute.

Near the end of his Fallingwater internship, Karafilis saw a tweet from the Penguins about the team's internship program-a chance to write about the players and coaches during training camp and the regular season.

"That's my dream job," Karafilis said. "When I got the call saying I'd gotten it, it was the craziest moment of my life."

In his internship with the Penguins, Karafilis is using the skills he learned and refined while writing for the Bulletin-how to construct a story, conduct interviews and work under a tight deadline. Yet there are important differences between covering a team for a newspaper and working for a team's website.

"I have to write in a different sort of light," Karafilis said. "My opinions can't come into play, because I'm representing the team. It's not like being a Post-Gazette writer, who can express thoughts and concerns about the team."

Karafilis' schedule is hectic. On game days, he goes to his classes in the morning, changes into coat and tie and drives to PPG Paints Arena. After working at the Penguins game, he gets home around midnight, sets his alarm for 7 a.m. and does it all again the next day.

After tackling several assignments the past several months for the Bulletin and Fallingwater, Karafilis is used to the frantic pace. He knows the payoff will make it all worthwhile.

"It's all definitely been coming at me fast, one thing after another," Karafilis said. "There have been a lot of really cool moments. I really feel like I'm on the right track."

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