Binghamton City School District graduate Austin Tanner, sports anchor and news reporter at FOX 40 News WICZ-TV, returned to his roots to talk with BHS students about his career in broadcasting. Tanner visited the Media Arts class of his former teacher, Amanda Crans-Gentile, to share his journey to obtain a position in local media.
One of Tanner’s main messages for the students was that it’s okay to be unsure of your career goals as a high schooler. He said he explored his interests at BHS by taking media arts and photography classes. Tanner said Mrs. Crans-Gentile was the first to show him how creative you could be with a camera and editing softwares. “From there, I was hooked,” Tanner recalled.
Tanner began his college career at SUNY Broome, while also working at Fox 40 as a Production Assistant and Sports Videographer. He continued his studies at SUNY Oswego, graduating in 2019 with a Broadcasting Major and Sports Studies Minor and returning to Fox 40, this time as the station’s Sports Anchor and News Reporter.
Tanner was both an athlete and a performer as a Binghamton student, experiences that helped shape his future career path.
“I could not have had the confidence to be on camera, or in front of a newer audience without all of those involved with my theatre productions during my time at the high school,” Tanner said.
Tanner is very proud to have grown up in and graduated from the district, and we are honored to call him one of our own!