Where are they now? - Former Left Hand Valley Courier writer Eric Fayeulle

Through hard work and a few career pivots, Niwot's own Eric Fayeulle is now navigating his third month as a segment producer for ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."

The 2015 Niwot High graduate began as a desk intern for ABC News in January of 2022 before working his way up to a desk assistant and then to his current role. Fayeulle's duties include overseeing news packages and scripts, conducting research on guests and developing stories.

Before joining ABC, he spent a couple of years working for SiriusXM and SBNation as a writer covering the Colorado Rockies for PurpleRow.com, but he decided to finally take a leap into covering news and politics.

Securing his first gig in the competitive industry didn't come easy, though.

"I wanted to move from sports to news and politics for a while, just being in (Washington) D.C., and that was something that always interested me," Fayeulle said. "It was a battle. Over the course of a six-month stretch somewhere along the way, I sent out 156, 157 job apps in that field, and I ended up with an internship. It was one of those things where I was like, 'Alright, I guess I'll take the title cuts to make this job.'"

With the help of a business degree from the University of Maryland and a journalism master's degree from Georgetown University, it didn't take much time for Fayeulle to feel fully comfortable - or at least close - at his new job.

"They (ABC) do a good job of showing you the ropes," he said. "Having a decent background from school also was really helpful, like camera basics, scripting basics and that sort of stuff. And then they throw you into the fire and say, 'You got to do this, this and this,' and you kind of pick it up. At first, it's a little daunting, but you figure it out."

Although one aspect of his job that remains occasionally unnerving is interacting with noteworthy politicians, which has included Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, former U.S. presidential candidate and current Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, and Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer. Fayeulle said that First Lady Jill Biden, who he joined in a motorcade, remains the "biggest" person he has connected with.

"It doesn't feel real when you're doing it," Fayeulle said. "But at the same time, you know why you're there and what you're trying to ask and you forget about the fact that these are people you see on TV."

Even in the midst of covering some of the nation's most influential people in Washington D.C., Fayeulle hasn't forgotten about his Colorado roots. His first noteworthy job came as a student intern at the Warren, Carlson & Moore law firm in Niwot, which led to his start in the media industry writing for the Left Hand Valley Courier's sports section.

Now years later, Fayeulle remembers what it was like conducting his first interviews with Niwot High student-athletes.

"It was a good opportunity talking to players after the game," Fayeulle said. "That was not something I was very good at at the time - it's still not my strength - just going up to people, talking to them and trying to figure out what questions make sense to ask."