When she’s not on the sidelines covering live D1 sports at Auburn University, Vivian Kennell ‘20 can often be found eagerly editing videos and publishing articles in the wee hours of the morning for the demanding college sports news cycle. Though she initially planned to study Law and Justice at Auburn, she pivoted to Journalism-Sports Production and Marketing after joining a student-run broadcasting club called Eagle Eye TV. Once she got a taste of live TV appearances, exclusive access to major sporting events, and the high-energy community of sports journalism, she knew she had found her path.
This academic year, Vivian will step into the Sports Director role at Eagle Eye TV, where she will assign coverage roles while continuing to produce her own work, teach other students how to shoot and edit photos and videos, write and edit articles, and manage the organization’s social media. The project that Vivian is most proud of is her very own segment, One Play a Day. Although the logistics can be challenging at a D1 university, Vivian works tirelessly to gain one-on-one access to athletes, conduct a short interview, and then learn a skill from them. Through the segment, she’s learned a serve alongside a tennis player, how to catch a fly ball from a baseball player, and how to putt with a golfer. These lighthearted, interactive, and personalized moments with athletes are what make her videos unique and engaging.
Vivian, of course, is not only a sports fan: she’s an athlete herself. At Sant Bani School, she was on the track and field and ski teams. At Gilford High School and Holderness School, she tried a little bit of everything: golf, tennis, skiing, rock climbing, ice hockey, mixed martial arts, and figure skating, to name a few.
Another interest was sparked early on for Vivian: the Spanish language. She says learning Spanish since Kindergarten with Jeronimo Garrigues P’19 gave her the building blocks to continue studying the language in college. She even studied abroad in Spain over the summer, practicing her interview skills en español with strangers in the city of Barcelona. When the conversation turns to Sant Bani School’s culture of sportsmanship and inclusion, Vivian recalls her culminating project at Universitat de Barcelona, which focused on her favorite part of sport: how it unites people. Fans and athletes encourage each other, share wins and losses together, and find common ground with others from all walks of life.
Vivian has two more years at Auburn University and is excited to continue in the collaborative and close-knit world of sports journalism. Her work can be viewed on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and more under Vivian Kennell or Eagle Eye TV.
Fans and athletes encourage each other, share wins and losses together, and find common ground with others from all walks of life.
Note: this article first appeared in the 2026 Trumpet of the Swan. If you aren’t receiving this annual publication, click here and let us know if you would like to sign up.