Imagine gathering all your belongings and moving halfway across the Earth to go to a school with all strangers. That is exactly what Ryan Lam did when he came to Penn State all the way from Hong Kong. With the protests going on there, 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 has had a deep passion for sports of all kinds ever since he was a young kid and it is what 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.
Lam came to Penn State University Park and the rest is history. He is heavily involved in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications and several clubs within that college. 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 at Penn State football games as well as men’s and women’s basketball.
Lam has enjoyed his time in particular in a club known as Penn State Sports Night, 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 very unique, is that he actually has his own segment where he talks about very niche sports such as tennis, badminton, and even darts. It is called “The Ocho.”
With Lam’s uniquely busy schedule, he finds time to be a part of club tennis at Penn State and can enjoy a favorite hobby of his. He has shown interest in tennis since he was just a kid and is glad he gets to play at least once every week with a large group of people with similar interests. Lam is a senior graduating in May of 2020 and looking for a career covering niche sports upon graduation. He thinks he brings a unique skill set and 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.