The Southern Utah University Communication Department hosted alumni who are working at the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. On Jan. 19, 2026, students were invited to attend a Zoom meeting with the three alumni: Jennifer Hansen, Mike Anderson and Matt Kjar.
Hansen is a 2009 SUU graduate who is currently operating the camera on the slopestyle and halfpipe snowboarding and skiing events. She is a freelance sports camera operator who started with ESPN, worked with the Utah Jazz and has attended seven Olympics. She explained that during these Olympics, she has built cameras while on the side of the mountain, been in blizzards and had opportunities to practice camera operations during athletes’ practices. She told students to continue to take advantage of the opportunities available at SUU.
Anderson is a 1999 SUU graduate who is currently working at KSL, covering what he calls the “flavor” of the Olympics. He also does a morning show covering the Olympics and will cover the U.S. curling team as they progress through the competition. He has spent the last 15 years at KSL, and this is his first Olympics. He explores the towns surrounding Milan and Cortina, Italy, and finds stories of everyday people to report on.
Kjar is a 2002 SUU graduate and a freelancer for the Olympic Broadcast Services, where he works as a broadcaster and is the deputy manager of the cross-country skiing events. He has worked at the Olympics 11 times. He owns his own production company, Parascope Productions, where he teaches people how to be on camera and create their own videos.
Kjar recommends that students create and maintain connections in order to be successful. He is most known for his production of “The Story Trek” TV series, where he and his crew traveled around the country knocking on strangers’ doors and asking to hear their life stories. The show won an Emmy award in 2016.
Author: Lainey Porter
Photo courtesy of SUU
Editor: Hannah Clove
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