Tevis Hillis

As a little girl, Tevis Hillis already knew she would end up at the University of Oklahoma. 

Growing up in Lawton, OK, she was drawn to Norman’s college-town atmosphere. So, when she started as a freshman in August of 2016, she knew she had made the right decision. However, she did not begin her OU journey as a journalism major.  

“Throughout middle school and high school, I did everything journalism,” Hillis said. “So, somehow, my path landed me in a journalism class and that's where it kind of took off. I reached out to someone [in Gaylord] and they said to try it all.” 

And that is exactly what she did.  

Hillis started at OU Nightly as a video producer and slowly worked her way up. During her time as a student, she ran the news brief, worked as a live reporter and eventually sat as a news anchor. 

“So, I kind of did a little bit of everything. And thank goodness I did because now I have a better understanding of what production does and how other people in the newsroom work.” 

Not only did Hillis dedicate her time as a Gaylord student to OU Nightly, but she also worked for Sooner Sports Pad, a student-produced live sports talk show.

“I started off as the pizza girl,” she said. “And I worked my way up to being the girl that held the sign that said, ‘Scream loud!’... Eventually, I got to do social media [for Sports Pad]. And then I finally got the honor of getting to be the host. It was amazing.” 

During her time at OU, she interned with news stations such as KSWO in her hometown of Lawton, KSL 5 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and eventually at KWTV News 9 in Oklahoma City.

After graduating from Gaylord in 2020, Hillis officially joined the News 9 team as a multimedia journalist, paving the way for her current roles as a weekend morning news anchor and weekday morning reporter.  

“When everyone else is going to have fun on the weekends, I'm always like, ‘Guys I've got to go to sleep. Got big shows tomorrow.’ It takes a lot of control and dedication, but I absolutely love it. It’s a dream.” 

Hillis’ strong connections and the opportunities they afforded led her to return to OU Nightly as the executive producer in the fall 2022. Gaylord College News Director Barbara Merckx offered her the position after seeing Hillis’ multi-year dedication to live news. 

“She called me one day was like, ‘Hey, you're free on Mondays and Tuesdays. I need some help.’ I said absolutely. I love this program. It got me to where I am today.” 

Hillis credits her success to the donors that provided her with the opportunities she had at Gaylord. Her internships were made possible by the Student Experience Fund, a scholarship program that helps provide Gaylord students with professional and educational opportunities. Donors like Linda Young, a Gaylord College alumna, have supported Hillis throughout her career. 

 “I still talk to her to this day,” Hillis said of Young. “I was her first scholarship kid. I go with her to the Evening of Celebration every year because I love meeting the new kids that get her scholarship.” 

Hillis hopes to continue the tradition of giving by helping future generations of journalists get their dream jobs out of college, just as she did. 

“Everyone is so willing to help each other out… and get you to the next point. That's really what Gaylord is all about.”