New to the communication staff this year, we have Mike Igoe, a former consumer reporter on the Channel 2 news. He has been a Journalist for thirty years before retiring and teaching. Mike is a native to western New York, however he has had jobs all over, including teaching in China.
Igoe went to SUNY Albany as an undergraduate; they only had a Journalism minor at the time, so he was an history major with a minor in Journalism. Igoe is not only a professor and Journalist, he is also an attorney and member of the New York State bar.
“Journalism was always an interest of mine, but I was also very interested in helping people,” Igoe said. “ I went to law school, that’s what I wanted to do.”
Professor Igoe has gotten all his jobs by taking chances. While talking to him, he talked about how he started teaching at Buffalo and ended up going to China to teach for three years. When he was a Journalist, he always wanted to do the “made in China” story, how everything in our lives is made from China. He was never able to do it. When he was at Buffalo State, one of Igoe’s colleagues showed him an ad about teaching in China. Before he knew it he had a job interview and then a job offer.
“It’s one thing to go to a country and have to do a story for a week or two,” he explained. “It’s another thing when you have to actually live there.”
After thinking about it, he decided to go. It was a point in his life where his children were grown. He knew if he didn’t at least try he would always wonder “what if?” for the rest of his life. When all was said and done he was happy he did it, even though at times it was difficult. Where he lived in Zhuhai, was especially challenging because that area does not have as much English as other areas.
Igoe’s has a go for it attitude that anyone going into this field should have. You can’t get anywhere without taking risks.
Igoe retired from television after thirty years in the business. Teaching wasn’t something he ever saw himself doing, but decided to give it a try. He said teaching was something he fell into.
“When I got into a classroom I really found out that I had a lot to offer and it was stuff that, you know, skills that I could pass forward,” Igoe stated about becoming a professor.
Igoe has taught a lot of students everywhere. He said that many of them that he taught have all gotten jobs in the business.
“Get as many skills as you can. And you know, frankly it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to do something,” Igoe advises. “ Even if you want to be an on air person, learn how to operate a camera, learn how to shoot, learn how to edit because the more practical skills you can put on your resume, it’s going to attract them.”
