By the third grade, Marshawn Gunn was telling everyone he wanted to be a meteorologist when he grew up.

“Being a weatherman was a dream of mine,” Gunn says. “I grew up loving weather.”

However, several semesters into the meteorology program at Iowa State University, Gunn realized he didn’t love it as much as he loved something else.

“What I do love is telling people’s stories,” Gunn says. “I was aiming to tell people about weather, so I’m glad that I was able to find a different way to tell people stories and inform them about things going on in their community.”

The Johnston, Iowa, resident transferred to the University of Iowa, where he’ll graduate in December 2024 with a BA in journalism and mass communication and a minor in sport and recreation management.

Gunn says he is curious and loves asking questions, important traits for a reporter. But he credits his professors and classes at Iowa, broadcast experiences working for Daily Iowan TV, and an internship at Des Moines television station KCCI for helping him hone his storytelling skills.

After graduation, he looks forward to working in broadcast news — ideally in Iowa — highlighting the stories of his neighbors and community.

“Not everyone’s voice is always heard, and it’s good to hear the voice of people who may not have been heard before,” Gunn says. “Also, I think some news stories can become convoluted, but if you tell them through people and humanize the story, people are better able to connect with it and understand it.”

What have been some of your favorite memories during your time on campus?

Honestly, they’ve been this past spring semester and this semester. That’s when I really started getting into the reporting aspect of journalism. And then this semester, I finally joined DITV. I have absolutely loved everyone that I’ve had the chance to work with, and I’m sad that I’m leaving so soon.

What is the most valuable thing you have learned while at Iowa?

It’s storytelling. Without the storytelling aspect of what I’ve been able to learn here, I don’t think I would be at where I am today.

And then also learning the technical skills that you need to have if you want a job in this profession, such as how to frame a camera, where to place the subject for an interview, how to light it correctly, how to edit on Premiere Pro, all those important things.

How would you describe what it’s like to be a part of the Hawkeye community?

To be a Hawkeye is to be someone who cares about the people in their community but also shows their Hawkeye pride through the things they do and the jobs they have. At my internship at KCCI, there were a couple Iowa graduates who always talked about how much Iowa meant to them. I think that carrying on that pride after graduating is what makes people true Hawkeyes.

Who has been the most important mentor you have found here?

Angela Looney has kind of been my rock. She’s the one who got me interested in being a reporter. I knew before I entered her newscast and reporting class that it was something that I maybe wanted to do. Once I entered her class, the way she teaches, she is passionate about it and cares about all her students and the work that they produce. And I could really feel that. And that made me excited.

She built my confidence and pushed me to take a chance in applying for the KCCI internship. And if it weren’t for what I learned through her class, I would not have gotten it.

What advice would you give future Hawkeyes?

Experience whatever you can experience before it’s too late. I chose to not join DITV because I thought that I would not gel and I wouldn’t enjoy it. But after joining this semester, I can say that I wish I had joined sooner because I’ve created great relationships with everyone in DITV and I’m going to miss them. So, don’t miss out on the opportunities that you’re given.