Senior Spotlight May 2020 – Marisa Nuzzo
This year we are continuing our tradition of Senior Spotlights! With graduation postponed, it is more important than ever to highlight this spring’s graduating class.
The class of May 2020 is experiencing their last few weeks of college unlike any of those who came before them. It has been a tough time, but the seniors are adapting to new ways of learning and are continuing to celebrate their accomplishments thus far.
Meet Marisa Nuzzo! Originally from Mundelein, Illinois, she traveled all the way to Oklahoma to pursue her dream of becoming a meteorologist. “When I was about 15 I decided that meteorology would be the best career for me. It is the perfect blend of science and community service and with a broadcast element, I can really make a difference,” she said.
She was determined from the start to become a broadcast meteorologist. “I knew that broadcast was my path from day one. I hunted down the people at OU Nightly until they gave me a position. After one semester of work, I was able to audition and get on the air. I was on air with OU Nightly for seven semesters. I was also the Senior Web Producer for my final two years with OU Nightly,” she told us.
She ran into a few bumps on her way to achieve her goals, “My first semester at OU I failed a chemistry test. It shook me to my core. I never struggled in school before let alone got an F on an exam. I had a total meltdown and questioned if I would make it in college. I doubled down on my studying, went to office hours, and ended up with a B in chemistry at the end of the semester. It was then I realized this degree would not be easy, but it would be worth it.”
Beyond the struggles, Marisa made many memories at OU, “My favorite thing about OU is all the people I met in the past four years. I have made some amazing friends in both the meteorology school and in the journalism school, not to mention I met my significant other here. As students, we have been through countless hours of studying together. Some of those hours might have been spent laughing at videos online or warning the underclassmen of what’s to come, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
It is very bitter-sweet for Marisa to leave OU, but she is excited for the future, “I have accepted a weekday morning meteorologist position with WBRZ in Baton Rouge, Lousiana!”
Congratulations to Marisa and all she has accomplished within the School of Meteorology and Gaylord College!