From Dallas to New Brunswick: How Noah Ohayon JMS’26 is Using SC&I to Build his Career on the East Coast
Ohayon said the JMS courses he’s taking are equipping him with the necessary skills he needs to land the internships he’s aiming for.
Ohayon said the JMS courses he’s taking are equipping him with the necessary skills he needs to land the internships he’s aiming for.

As a high school senior in Dallas, Texas, Noah Ohayon JMS'26 had accepted Rutgers as a Business School major, even though he had always been passionate about writing.

“I originally came for business,” Ohayon said, “but I quickly realized that it wasn't the path for me. One of my friends was majoring in Journalism and Media Studies, and he was telling me about it and I thought I've always been great at writing, so I switched. Since then, it has probably been the best decision I've made since I've come here, because I feel like I've learned so much, and I enjoy the curriculum and the extracurriculars that come with it as well.”

On campus, Ohayon writes for The Daily Targum’s sports section as a contributing writer and a women’s basketball columnist. He’s also involved in his fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, where he has held the Heritage Chair, and worked to educate his fraternity brothers about Jewish history and the heritage of the fraternity. Currently, he holds the RU for Kids Chair, where he assigns the entire fraternity to one sick child, and it becomes the fraternity’s aim to give the child light in their life by keeping in regular contact, going to events, and hanging out with the child.  

As a high school senior in Dallas, Texas, Noah Ohayon had accepted Rutgers as a Business School major, even though he had always been passionate about writing. “I originally came for business,” Ohayon said, “but I quickly realized that it wasn't the path for me,” he said. “One of my friends was majoring in JMS, and he was telling me about it and I thought I've always been great at writing, so I switched. Since then, it has probably been the best decision I've made since I've come here, because I feel like I've learned so much, and I enjoy the curriculum and the extracurriculars that come with it as well.” On campus, Ohayon writes for The Daily Targum’s sports section as a contributing writer and a women’s basketball columnist. He’s also involved in his fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, where he has held the Heritage Chair, and worked to educate his fraternity brothers about Jewish history and the heritage of the fraternity. Currently, he holds the RU for Kids Chair, where he assigns the entire fraternity to one sick child, and it becomes the fraternity’s aim to give the child light in their life by keeping in regular contact, going to events, and hanging out with the child. This past summer, Ohayon lived in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he worked for a global sports technology hub, 365 Scores, and wrote sports articles and produced content for their live scores app and online magazine. He said he was well prepared for the job, as his JMS classes, such as Writing for Media, Sports Writing and Reporting, made the transition to the job and his work “much smoother and easier.” “That was my first time working in an office, and the JMS curriculum and the professors helped prepare me for that role,” he said. In our interview, Ohayon, tells SC&I about the skills he’s learned as a JMS major, the courses that have interested him the most, and why he chose Rutgers as the best place to prepare for his career. SC&I: Have you learned any specific skills through JMS that you’ve been able to apply in the workforce or in any other aspeThis past summer, Ohayon lived in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he worked for a global sports technology hub, 365 Scores, and wrote sports articles and produced content for their live scores app and online magazine.

He said he was well prepared for the job, as his JMS classes, such as Writing for Media, Sports Writing and Reporting, made the transition to the job and his work “much smoother and easier.”

“That was my first time working in an office, and the JMS curriculum and the professors helped prepare me for that role,” he said.

In our interview, Ohayon, tells SC&I about the skills he’s learned as a JMS major, the courses that have interested him the most, and why he chose Rutgers as the best place to prepare for his career.

SC&I: Have you learned any specific skills through JMS that you’ve been able to apply in the workforce or in any other aspects of your life?
NO: JMS does a great job at teaching you communication skills such as interviewing people, networking with people, and just talking to people. That can be hard for some, and it was for me. I'm still working on it, but I feel like I'm getting better at it.

SC&I: What are some of your favorite classes over the years that helped you expand your knowledge in your preferred field?
NO: Critical Issues in Sports Media, with Steven Miller– one of my favorite professors at Rutgers. The course dives into the side of sports that you don't see that often as it goes behind the scenes. The class I'm currently taking which I also like is Sports Writing and Reporting with Professor Joe Rivera– he's a great guy. He's given me some great advice on being a professional in the sports media and sports writing world.

SC&I: What type of career would you like to pursue post-graduation? Any dreams you want to pursue?
NO: I'm not sure right now. I'm exploring all my options, which is why I was doing sports writing for The Daily Targum. I did a sports media internship with Maccabi USA last year, which is a Jewish sports organization that’s dedicated to building Jewish pride through sports. My supervisor, Neal Slotkin, a Rutgers alum, had Professor Miller at one point. That connection helped me find and ultimately secure the internship. In my role, I created team roster graphics for the 2023 Maccabi Pan American Games using Canva to post on their Instagram. I also contacted 15+ coaches and players of various teams to compile and create media guides for the Games. I had the opportunity to write feature stories and articles on Maccabi USA athletes. I helped brainstorm and create content for the Maccabi USA Instagram. Overall, it was a great experience, and I learned a lot.As a high school senior in Dallas, Texas, Noah Ohayon had accepted Rutgers as a Business School major, even though he had always been passionate about writing. “I originally came for business,” Ohayon said, “but I quickly realized that it wasn't the path for me,” he said. “One of my friends was majoring in JMS, and he was telling me about it and I thought I've always been great at writing, so I switched. Since then, it has probably been the best decision I've made since I've come here, because I feel like I've learned so much, and I enjoy the curriculum and the extracurriculars that come with it as well.” On campus, Ohayon writes for The Daily Targum’s sports section as a contributing writer and a women’s basketball columnist. He’s also involved in his fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, where he has held the Heritage Chair, and worked to educate his fraternity brothers about Jewish history and the heritage of the fraternity. Currently, he holds the RU for Kids Chair, where he assigns the entire fraternity to one sick child, and it becomes the fraternity’s aim to give the child light in their life by keeping in regular contact, going to events, and hanging out with the child. This past summer, Ohayon lived in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he worked for a global sports technology hub, 365 Scores, and wrote sports articles and produced content for their live scores app and online magazine. He said he was well prepared for the job, as his JMS classes, such as Writing for Media, Sports Writing and Reporting, made the transition to the job and his work “much smoother and easier.” “That was my first time working in an office, and the JMS curriculum and the professors helped prepare me for that role,” he said. In our interview, Ohayon, tells SC&I about the skills he’s learned as a JMS major, the courses that have interested him the most, and why he chose Rutgers as the best place to prepare for his career. SC&I: Have you learned any specific skills through JMS that you’ve been able to apply in the workforce or in any other aspe

Right now, I'm doing a remote marketing communications internship for a PR firm, On Q Communications LLC, that does public relations for five different law firms. I'm learning skills such as how to draft press releases, how to update website content, drive traffic, SEO skills, and more. I'm enjoying the public relations side of communications.

SC&I: Why did you choose Rutgers or SC&I as a place to pursue your passions? 
NO: My older sister also goes here. That was one factor. But the main thing was, I went to a small Jewish school my whole life and was with the same people my whole life. There were 100 kids in my high school, 25 kids in my graduating class, and I felt stuck and in like a bubble. I hadn't experienced ‘the real world.’ Rutgers was on my radar because of my sister. My thought process was, it’s far away, it's a good school, and there’s a Jewish population there as well. I thought, why not? Those were the main reasons I came here, and I'd say it's helped me grow a lot.

SC&I: How has SC&I helped you build on your skills and follow your passions?
NO: JMS and SC&I in particular feel like a real community, and it feels like all the professors and all the faculty and students want you to succeed and want to bring the best out of you. I don't think it’s the same way at other schools, because maybe they're too big; but in my experience, especially with the professors, they will do everything they can to help you succeed, not only in class but also outside.

Learn more about the Journalism and Media Studies major at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website.

Photos: Courtesy of Noah Ohayon

 

 

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