As the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse said goodbye to its 2025 graduates, The Racquet Press also saw the departure of its general assignment reporter. While only serving on the Racquet Press staff for one year, Ellie Davis played a crucial role in delivering news to the students of UWL.
Ever since middle school, Davis knew that she wanted to be on TV.
Rachel Manek, a news anchor from Green Bay Wisconsin, was someone who Davis grew up watching on local channels. Manek’s presence in the news world helped to inspire Davis to pursue a career in broadcasting and journalism.
“There was no other job I wanted to do, [being a news anchor] was the only thing that sounded interesting to me and still to this day it’s what I want to do,” Davis said.
Although UWL does not have broadcasting or journalism majors, Davis was determined to find a way to build her own career path. As a communications major with a media emphasis and a creative writing minor, Davis still found countless ways to stay involved in the media world.
With the help of her professor and advisor Dr. Taylor Cole Miller, Davis was able to start an internship class through UWL where students could collaborate with local news stations to gain a glimpse of the news world through hands-on learning. The class helped to find stories and create content, some of which got air time.
Through this internship Davis was able to connect with a plethora of news stations which not only led to broadcasting insight, but also a summer job.
Davis completed a summer internship at WEAU News in Eau Claire where she worked as a multimedia journalist. There, she covered news stories from La Crosse for the Eau Claire station.
After graduation, Davis will start a new position as a multimedia journalist for WFRV News in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This job is a stepping stone to Davis’s true goal of becoming a news anchor for one of the top 25 stations in America. Her dream job is to be on the Today Show.
“[The job in Eau Claire] really prepared me in a hands-on way for what I’m going to be doing at my job in the future,” Davis said.
A large part of Davis’s drive to continue journalism and broadcasting came from her constant coverage of the 2024 election. Through the Racquet Press and the internship she helped found, Davis got many close up looks at the historic presidential race.
One of her favorite moments from this coverage was when her professor called the White House to ask for press passes for an event that Kamala Harris was holding in La Crosse. When the press passes were granted, Davis was brought under the wing of Air Force Two where she got to shake hands with the former vice president.
“I got to meet [Harris] and shake her hand while she gave me the best advice ever. She said, ‘the world needs young journalists like you, and the world needs the truth’. So that’s what I’m trying to do, I’m always chasing the truth,” Davis said.
Another favorite moment of Davis’s comes from Harris’ second event in La Crosse. When Harris came to the REC, Davis not only covered the event, but also got the opportunity to interview Mark Cuban.
“My work during the election is something that I’m super proud of because I don’t think that it’s something that a lot of students, even at larger universities, ever get the opportunity to do,” Davis said.
Aside from her work with the election, Davis’s favorite piece she wrote with the Racquet Press is her article about the murder of Terry Dolowy. Having already created a documentary for her broadcasting class on the topic, she was able to use the newspaper to spread more awareness of the incident.
Davis has earned recognition at both the university and state levels for her dedication to the broadcasting field. Her work has been celebrated by the Wisconsin Broadcasting Association, which awarded her second place for her coverage of Vice President Harris and third place for her documentary on the murder of Dolowy. At UWL, she was honored with the Academic Excellence Award for her help in creating the university’s new broadcasting internship class.
As Davis’s final semester came to a close, she reflected on her time at the Racquet Press.
“This is my first year as the general assignment reporter for The Racquet and I’m sad I didn’t do it sooner because it’s been so fun… it’s such a fulfilling job and I think that it’s really appreciated on campus,” Davis said.
During the school year Davis not only works for the Racquet Press, but is also a co-director and tutor for the Writing Center in Murphy Library. On top of that, she is the social media chair for Lambda Pi Eta, the communications honor society at UWL.
Davis expressed her appreciation for all those who have helped her in her journey thus far. She specifically thanked her mom for her constant support and Dr. Miller for his drive to see her succeed.
“It’s going to be really hard for me to leave La Crosse because I hate leaving all these amazing people but at the same time all my best friends are also graduating and it really is the people that make the place,” Davis said.
As a message to incoming students, Davis encourages them to embrace the small, meaningful moments that shape their college experience. She leaves the sentiment of “the time is going to pass anyways” and hopes that incoming first-year students will make the most of the four years ahead of them.
See all content by Davis here.
