Ryan Lam packed all of his stuff up and moved across the world to pursue his dream of becoming an objective sports journalist in the U.S. His dream is only achievable in the States and is most of the reason he decided to make the move. 

With the protests going on in Hong Kong, Lam has had to deal with the concerns that traveling to and from the nation bring. It is part of the reason why he only makes the trip each summer and not for other breaks from school. He also knows people personally who have participated in some of the marches in Hong Kong.

Lam’s deep passion for sports brought him to the States, to study sports journalism in hopes of being able to cover sports professionally one day. He became a strong speaker of the English language at a young age back in Hong Kong and always knew he wanted to go to the States and pursue this career. A large percentage of Penn State students start at a branch campus before they go to the University Park campus. Lam went to Penn State Altoona first where he was able to work with the basketball team there and become close with a lot of new friends.

Now at University Park he covers men’s and women’s tennis for the Daily Collegian which has given him the opportunity to cover a Division I collegiate sport. He is also a sports production intern at WPSU where he was able to gain access to the sidelines shooting video at Penn State football games as well as men’s and women’s basketball.

Lam said he has especially enjoyed his time at Penn State Sports Night, a club where students have the opportunity to shoot and edit their own “SportsCenter” style segments. He has built several strong, long-term relationships with people in this club and is very thankful for being a part of it. What makes Lam’s position within the club unique, is his own segment where he talks about niche sports such as tennis, badminton, and even darts. It is called The Ocho.

Lam not only covers sports, he plays them too. He plays tennis recreationally with the tennis club at Penn State at least once a week. Lam will graduate in May 2020 and is looking for a career covering niche sports. He thinks he brings a cultural perspective to the table that will help make him stand out to recruiters. He absolutely wants to work in the United States and not have to go back to Hong Kong where he doesn’t see things improving much very soon without something very drastic.

Video: Time to Have Some Fun
 

Ryan Lam has always loved to play tennis in his free time. He is part of club tennis at Penn State and sees his Tuesday and Thursday nights as an opportunity to have fun and enjoy one of his favorite hobbies. Lam uses tennis as a bit of a getaway from his classes and everyday grind.