When opportunity presented itself, Tee Willis was ready because of Ohio University, WOUB

As Tee Willis sits in the control room and directs newscasts at WJCL TV in Savannah, Georgia, he almost can’t believe the path his career has taken in the three short years since he graduated from Ohio University.

“I never saw myself doing what I am doing now,” said Willis. “I used to say that I would never be in local news, and I would never be behind the camera. But now I realize that I prefer this.”

When Willis came to Athens, he wanted to be a sports journalist but not in the traditional sense.

“I wanted to and planned to do my own thing and make my own lane for what I wanted to do,” said Willis. “Ohio University was the only school where I applied. I knew it had one of the best journalism schools in the country, and I wanted to go to school there.”

During his freshman year, Willis was in the Ohio University Marching 110. But as soon as marching season was over, he got involved at WOUB. Willis started as a reporter for WOUB’s high school basketball program, “Hardwood Heroes.”

“I learned how to edit and shoot video. I fell in love with it. I loved staying late at WOUB. While other students were out on the weekends, I was in the edit bay,” said Willis with a laugh. “WOUB gave me the structure for how to do things on my own by being able to work in a team setting and learn what it is to be a part of a news/production team.”

By Willis’ sophomore year he was a reporter for “Gridiron Glory” and then became online host for “Hardwood Heroes.”

“I learned a lot from the other students who worked on those programs,” said Willis. “They helped me and made me believe in myself and what I needed to understand about the business of being a journalist.”

During Willis’ junior year, he became the co-host of “Hardwood Heroes.” But, during his senior year, Willis made a change and started working for The Post. He wanted to learn as much as he could about both broadcast and print journalism.

After graduation, Willis did an internship at the Knoxville News Sentinel working on breaking news. About a month into the internship, he was offered a full-time position. But Willis didn’t stay in Knoxville very long.

“The breaking news desk was too much. We covered school shootings and murders. I just couldn’t handle it and I resigned,” said Willis. “I moved back home to Savannah, Georgia, and started working at a hardware store while I figured things out.”

One day while at work, one of the anchors at WJCL TV came into the store, and Willis knew that he had to take advantage of the opportunity.

“I learned at a National Association of Black Journalist conference that I needed to have a 10 to 15 second elevator pitch ready to go at all times,” said Willis. “So, I used it and told him who I was, what I wanted to do and how I was a graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.”

The anchor promised to talk to his news director and see if there was a position available for Willis at WJCL. Before Willis knew it, he was working part-time at the station as a production assistant. By February of the next year, Willis was working with the production team learning how to be a director. And in May of 2023, he was hired full-time as the weekend newscast director.

“You just never know how things are going to go,” said Willis. “WOUB set me up to be a professional, to learn how to make contacts and connections with the right people and gave me the right tools to pursue my career. There are certain things you are going to have to learn on the fly when you get to your first opportunity out of school, but WOUB and Ohio University give you the tools to know what you are talking about and do your job correctly. And when you do the small things correctly, news directors and people in high positions, they see that and really notice those things.”