Building a legacy doesn’t happen overnight. As executive producer of Temple Update and a respected professor in Klein College, Peter Jaroff knows this well.
Since starting his Temple career in 2007, Jaroff has worked as the executive producer of the student-produced newscast, Temple Update. After an incredible run as a producer at WPVI-TV, Jaroff was ready for a role unlike anything he had experienced before.
“When I first started, I really had no idea what undergraduates were able to do in terms of broadcast,” said Jaroff. “They can do a lot more than I expected, and I learned to have a lot of faith in the ability of students.”
After 18 years as an educator at Temple, Jaroff is ready to say goodbye. He announced his departure in the fall semester. Now retired, Jaroff is still adjusting to a completely new life.
“I knew it would be difficult,” said Jaroff. “I always tell people it was the best job I ever had. And so to leave it is tough.”
Despite his absence from the weekly newscast, he still looks forward to keeping in touch with the extensive list of students who worked with him in the nest, whether they were involved with Temple Update or a student in his class. He credits the success of Temple Update to the students.
“Whatever success I had was based on the kind of students that Temple Update and Temple attracted,” said Jaroff. “They’ve made Temple Update look good, and by extension, they helped me keep working.”
The legacy of Temple Update doesn’t stop with Jaroff. Walking into TV Studio 3, you might see a new face around. Kristina Hammerschmidt was hand-picked to continue the work that Jaroff is passing on. As a Klein alumnus and media professional, Hammerschmidt was ready for this opportunity.
“It was just like the stars aligned. This was always the dream… to come back and teach,” said Hammerschmidt. “I was offered the opportunity, and I jumped at it. It was an instant yes for me.”
During her time at Klein, Hammerschmidt was a dedicated member of the Temple Update community, where her professor was none other than Jaroff.
“He’s still the same professor that I had in 2011 when I took Temple Update,” said Hammerschmidt. “He sets expectations that we have in the professional world, and I think that’s why the students who come out of Temple are so successful.”
During the fall semester, Jaroff and Hammerschmidt co-taught the Temple Update practicum, something that Hammerschmidt says prepared her for her own reign.
“I’m totally modeling the way I teach and my teaching style after him,” said Hammerschmidt. “I was a student of his, I learned from him, and I know how effective it was for me, so I can only hope it’s effective for my students as well.”
Now, as we look to the future, Hammerschmidt is excited to see how this program will continue to evolve.
“Temple Update is an amazing program, and honestly, I feel like the changes should come from the students,” said Hammerschmidt. “I’m open and receptive to any ideas that students have or any ways that we can improve.”