Alana Morgan is a rising sports journalist and a recent graduate from the University of Southern California. She is a pageant titleholder, having held titles such as Miss Beverly Hills USA, Miss Teen Universe USA, and Miss Teen California United States, and she is also a former track and field athlete and captain.
Morgan’s entire life has been spent surrounded by sports, both by her family and by herself. During her high school years, she ran track and was a varsity cheerleader, and she was also the senior captain of the track team her senior year.
Being involved in sports inspired Morgan to pursue a career as a journalist in the sports industry. She experienced everything other athletes go through as a track athlete, including overcoming hardships and obstacles and building new skills. She has aimed to present athletes with their own voice through storytelling in sports journalism.
Morgan began her career in journalism at Beverly Hills High School, where she was inspired by her school’s television station, KBEV 6. She was with her mother at the open house, where she saw the broadcasting class live-streaming the event. Morgan’s mother, Tina Durisseaux, was the one to lead her daughter into the program. This sparked her interest to learn more about it, and that is where she met her teacher, Romeo Carey, and became a part of the advanced broadcast class during her freshman year. Participating in the broadcasting program during her academic years helped Morgan prepare for life after high school.
KBEV 6 is a broadcasting station located at Beverly Hills High. It features weekly news on Spectrum Channel 6 to 100,000 homes in and around Beverly Hills, California. Every Wednesday, students cover the local community news, national news, school events, and the weather. As a result, Morgan was able to learn everything she needed to know about her future career in sports journalism. Not only that, but she became a lead anchor during her first two years and a head anchor for the remaining two. She also earned Gold at Regionals and Silver at States in the Skills USA Broadcast Competition, which she competed in through her broadcast program as an anchor.
Morgan went to Azusa Pacific University after graduating from high school. She was a part of the Division II track team for two years and continued her journalism career at APU. After two years, she transferred to Loyola Marymount University, which eventually led her to work for ESPN+ covering LMU athletics. After graduating from college and earning her bachelor’s degree in journalism, Morgan decided to pursue her master’s degree in specialized journalism to focus on sports at USC.
During her year in the USC grad program, Morgan jumped right in, seizing opportunities and laying the groundwork for her future. She captures every game she can and is undoubtedly preoccupied with being on camera.
Morgan hosted the Bleav in USC podcast on the Bleav network, covering USC football, and she has freelanced with FOX Sports, and became an anchor for USC Annenberg’s sports show Sports Scene. Morgan also worked as a sideline reporter for the Big Ten Student program, covering USC athletics, and she has served as on-camera talent for USC’s sports talk show, Water Cooler.
The University of Southern California has always been Alana’s dream school, where she even applied as a high school senior. Sadly, the school rejected her twice: once in high school and again as a transfer. Despite these setbacks, she was still determined to give another set for her future.
After being admitted to the Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism, Morgan didn’t let the fact that she wasn’t accepted the first two times deter her from realizing her dream. Being rejected led her to APU, where she continued to grow as an athlete, became a well-rounded journalist, and strengthened her faith. LMU helped her improve her on-camera skills and discover her passion for sideline reporting, while USC amplified it all by helping her work on her craft and build her reel.
Before attending USC, Morgan interned with FOX Sports during her time at Loyola Marymount University. She had an internship with them during the summer before her senior year, and later the FOX Sports internship was extended into the fall semester. After beginning her master’s program at USC, she was invited back to work as a freelancer throughout the entire NFL season.
According to Morgan, you should pursue your dreams regardless of whether your university offers the opportunities you’re looking for. She emphasized the importance of creating your own pathway to opportunities through connections or even your own website. In her case, Morgan created her own podcast in college, “The Undeniable Show”, which highlights the journeys of individuals who have overcome adversity and refused to let setbacks define them.
Inspired by Morgan’s own experiences with rejection and perseverance, this show focuses on resilience, determination and personal growth. Through authentic conversations, Morgan aims to inspire viewers to pursue their goals despite obstacles and create a platform that gives people the opportunity to share the stories behind their success.
The most important lesson that Morgan wants everyone to learn is that you should not allow failure to stop you from pursuing your dream career. Go for it as soon as you land and decide what you want to do going forward. Don’t let anything or anyone stand in the way of your goals. Utilize your setback as inspiration to strive for greater success.
