Master of journalism student, Ashley Lovelace, grew up wanting to become an OBGYN. She loved kids and enjoyed taking care of people. However, at 16 years old, she quickly realized neither blood nor needles were her friend.  

Feeling stressed and confused, Lovelace sought advice from her grandmother, knowing college was right around the corner. The two sat together and brainstormed Lovelace’s strengths. Lovelace journaled in her diary every day since she was 11, so storytelling and writing came naturally. Paired with her athleticism and chatty attitude, the duo landed on sports journalism for a potential career path.  

“She [Lovelace’s grandmother] said ‘If you like stories, love people and you said you were good at a lot of different things,” said Lovelace. “Combine that. You’ll never feel like you’re working a day in your life.”  

Lovelace graduated from high school in 2007, but faced health concerns that led her to drop out of college in 2009. After her grandmother passed away in 2020, she applied to Southern University and A&M College and received her acceptance in 2021. Lovelace became sick again and took another year off before officially starting in the fall of 2023.   

Although the two years flew by, Lovelace kept busy on and off campus. She served as the editor-in-chief for the school newspaper, The Southern Digest. In addition to completing internships at the National Football League, Major League Baseball and Position Sports.  

Lovelace and her team worked for over five months to produce a documentary about Southern University’s “Human Jukebox” Marching Band.  

“The love is still overwhelming,” said Lovelace. “I think personally, for me, I never thought about how big it really is. I never got a moment to really process it.” 

“The Hidden Sport” unveiled the concept of band existing as a sport and the physical, mental and emotional work involved.  

Above all else, Lovelace and her classmates won the 2025 Coca-Cola HBCU Grant at the 46th Annual Sports Emmy’s presented this past May. The group flew out to New York and was presented with an award, including the $40,000 grant.  

The Coca-Cola Company and the Foundation of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences established this grant to support students enrolled in journalism or media production programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with a special focus on sports broadcasting.  

Lovelace and her classmates decided at the beginning that if they won the  grant, they would give a portion of $40,000 award to Southern University’s Department of Mass Communications and  the Human Jukebox Marching Band, whose impact played a vital role in the documentary. This gesture was the first time that recipients donated some of the awarded money to the university. 

Lovelace felt encouraged to continue her academics after graduating from Southern University this past spring. While moving closer to home in Morrestown, New Jersey, Temple was the only school she applied to, and she was accepted two days later.

Nicole McKenna, director at the office of research and graduate studies at Klein College, believes Lovelace is the perfect candidate for Klein’s master of journalism program, given her role as executive producer of “The Hidden Sport.” 

"Ashley’s experience creating this award-winning documentary exemplifies the attributes we look for in master’s students,” said McKenna. “Ashley and her teammates took on a project that none of them had any experience with. They were passionate about the idea of creating something that was unique and special.”

While classes started in August, Lovelace did not hesitate to join into student media. In The Temple News sports section, she’s written features, profiles and game recaps on the field hockey team. Additionally, she kept up her appearance on OwlSports Update through their sports briefs.

Joe Schreiber, general manager of Temple University Television, sees a bright future for Lovelace, even in her short time with the program. He has watched her elevate OwlSports Update's coverage through strong preparation, collaboration and impactful storytelling. All while mentoring fellow students and pursuing her personal goals. 

“Ashley brings a rare mix of a producer’s discipline and a reporter’s curiosity. She can develop a story, build trust in interviews, write clean, concise scripts and deliver under deadline,” said Schreiber. “She actively seeks constructive feedback and applies it fast, and her perspective—blending culture, emotion and analysis—makes her storytelling distinctive and deeply resonant.” 

After graduation in May, Lovelace hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow sports reporters Pam Oliver, Tiffany Greene and Malika Andrews and become a sideline reporter, spotlighting players and coaches as much as possible. She is working on developing a podcast  called “Playbook Powder Room" for women's sports fans and women interested in learning about sports. The podcast will create a space to amplify women’s voices in a male-dominated field.  

“Temple University can be proud to attract students of Ashley's caliber,” Maiken Scott, adjunct professor at Klein College and Ashley’s podcast instructor, said. “I see so much talent and promise in her and am excited to help her produce a pilot for a podcast series on women and sports.” 

Ashley plans to host a screening of “The Hidden Sport” at Temple this spring. As she continues her graduate studies, she looks forward to learning and adapting to new ways of storytelling.