Tyler Hurst, a sports media and communication graduate from Glenview, Illinois, came to Nebraska with a goal to work in sports and to get outside his comfort zone. By working as a creative media assistant for the Huskers and landing a role with a National Hockey League team, Hurst can confidently say he achieved both.
“I've always kind of been an introvert,” Hurst said. “Given that, something that I was trying to accomplish along with my academic goals during my experience at Nebraska was to get a little bit more out of my shell.”
Given the extent of his accomplishments — including securing a part-time graphic designer role with the Vegas Golden Knights National Hockey League team, which will transition to full time after graduation — Hurst feels like he was able to do more than meet his goals.
A May 2025 graduate from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, Hurst’s time in the sports media and communication program and working for the Husker football team helped him hone the practical and interpersonal skills he needed to feel confident about his Husker education and transition to full-time work for an NHL team.
“All the different experiences I've had in CoJMC and working for the football team have really helped me be more confident in myself and put myself out there more,” Hurst said. “I feel like that's probably the biggest change I've noticed in myself and the thing I’ve accomplished that I'm most proud during my time here.”
Hurst came by his role as a creative media assistant for Husker Football thanks to an older student in the College of Business who previously held the role. As this student was preparing to graduate in 2022, they saw Hurst’s potential to take up the mantle.
“I used to run my own college football fan page for like five years, so I kind of built an online portfolio out of that,” Hurst said. “An older student saw my portfolio and my post on LinkedIn about looking for work and reached out to me to see if I'd be interested in applying to take over once he graduated.”
Working with the Huskers, Hurst designed all manner of print and digital content, even leveraging skills from his CoJMC photography class to start taking photos for the team. After shooting photos of a few workouts and practices, Tyler got the opportunity to take the next step.
“Eventually, I was asked to start shooting home games and even a few away games,” Hurst said. “That was such a cool experience for me and some of my favorite work I’ve been able to do.”
Building on the skills he was acquiring in the classroom and fine-tuning through his work with the Huskers, Hurst felt encouraged — though still nervous — as he gradually made his way through the interview process of applying for a part-time remote job as a graphic designer with the Vegas Golden Knights.
“Working with a professional sports team in Vegas seemed like a super exciting opportunity for me,” Hurst said, “and a chance to continue being really creative with my work.”
That remote job, which he held throughout his senior year, coincided with his work with the football team and his service as a College of Journalism and Mass Communications ambassador. The ambassador role found Hurst giving tours to prospective journalism students and their families as well as working recruitment events.
As he prepares to work full-time for the Vegas Golden Knights and for graduation, Hurst is confident that the breadth of opportunities, obstacles and fresh challenges he’s encountered at Nebraska have left him prepared to take on his burgeoning professional career.
“I've been thinking about it a lot,” Hurst said. “All the experiences I’ve had here really helped me grow a lot both personally and professionally, and I’m taking all that with me wherever I go.”
