Alumni Spotlight: Lauren Soulek

 Lauren Soulek, a 2019 USD alumni from Delmont, South Dakota, is currently an evening news anchor for KELOLAND’s 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts. She anchors in the evening and reports during the day.  

Soulek was born in Mitchell, South Dakota, but graduated from Tripp-Delmont High School in 2016. At Tripp-Delmont, she participated in the high school journalism club, where she wrote for the student newspaper, “The Paw Print,” and helped create the yearbook. 

     When trying to decide which college she wanted to attend, Soulek always had one option in mind: USD.

 “Both of my sisters went there, so I was familiar with the place, and I knew I liked it,” Soluek said. While she graduated with a double major of media and journalism and international studies, she did not always know what she wanted to do. Throughout high school and while applying to USD, Soulek thought she was going to pursue psychology. She started having second thoughts when she realized she didn’t want to sit at a desk all the time.

     “I wanted something that had different avenues I could pursue or took me outside of the office every day,” Soulek said. She ended up talking to her school guidance counselor and learned about the different pathways available in journalism. This helped guide her toward a major in media and journalism.

     While on campus at USD, Soulek participated in all of the media and journalism practicums: The Volante, Coyote News, and KAOR 91.1 radio. 

     “I started right with the Volante and it had a special place in my heart,” Soulek said,   “But then my second semester was when I auditioned for Coyote News and I just, I think, immediately fell in love with the broadcast side of journalism.” Soulek further explained that she loved the use of video in a news story. 

     “How powerful it can be to tell a story with video and seeing the people in their emotion and taking a person to the scene,” Soulek said. 

     When asked what she originally thought she would do after college, Soulek explained her main dream was to move to New York City and work for a magazine, “Good Morning America” or something in that genre. However, after trying Coyote News, she has continued to pursue the broadcast side of journalism.

     Besides the practicums Soulek completed two internships. Her first was during the summer after her sophomore year of college in Rapid City at KOTA Territory News and KEVN. Her second internship was at KELOLAND, where she has worked ever since. 

     After her summer internship, KELOLAND offered a part-time position because she was graduating that December, a semester early. Once she graduated, she started off as a multimedia journalist, or MMJ. 

     “I was the reporter, camera, photographer, writer, editor, all of the things.” Soulek said, explaining the roles of an MMJ. She worked as an MMJ on weekends and two to three days a week. After a year or two, she became a weekday MMJ. Then the opportunity to anchor and produce weekend shows opened up, and she quickly stepped into the role. 

     “What I love most is going out into the community, interviewing people, meeting new people every day and just telling their stories,” Soulek said.Two years later Soulek moved into the evening anchor role at KELOLAND. Soulek is very happy with her role at KELOLAND and enjoys the work she does.

     A couple years ago, Soulek and another reporter pitched the idea of visiting Pine RIdge Reservation to report on  missing and murdered Indigenous people.

“We need to talk to the people where they are at,” Soulek said. Her managers supported the idea, and from there, they have visited many other reservations in the state. 

     “It just means a lot to me to go and do those stories,” Soulek said. She appreciates the comfort people show her when she interviews them for a story and wants them to know that they are heard.

     When asked how USD has prepared her for the future, she stated that “(USD) has taught me everything I know about broadcast journalism.” Experiencing the different classes helped teach her how to use and navigate a camera while also learning how to portray a story. 

     “I would have never imagined when I started seven years ago that this is where I would be now,” Soulek said. Her advice to undergraduate students is to, “Take your time and try new things, if I had only stuck with, you know, one facet of journalism and not branched out into Coyote News or things like that, I never would have, you know, ended up where I am today.”

     Fellow Yotes can watch Soulek on KELOLAND during the weekday evening broadcasts at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.