For Tommie student-athlete Stefano Giovannelli, faith and family are central to his identity. In an episode of “Beyond the Buzzer,” the third-year wide receiver reflects on losing his mother to ALS when he was young, the influence she continues to have on his life and the role his faith in God plays in shaping who he is today.
“Her favorite thing to tell me was 'Who you are is more important than what you do even if what you do gets more attention than who you are,'" he said. “Who you are in your heart? That's it."
Wide receiver Stefano Giovannelli reflects on losing his mother to ALS at a young age, the lessons she taught him about character and the role faith plays in his life on and off the field.
Giovannelli, who is pursuing a degree in psychology from the College of Arts and Sciences and was named to the Pioneer Football League Academic Honor Roll in each of his first two seasons, is one of four students whose personal stories are featured in the second season of “Beyond the Buzzer.” The student-produced video series takes viewers beyond Division I competition to explore the lives of University of St. Thomas student-athletes.
The latest episodes also feature Jada Hood, Cassidy Carby and Anthony Borom. Launched in 2025, the series, a collaboration between Athletics and the College of Arts and Sciences, gives Digital Media Arts students hands-on experience producing documentary-style stories for a Division I athletics program.
Graduate student and basketball player Jada Hood shares how her determination to make her family proud extends beyond the court, from running her own crochet business to pursuing opportunities that weren't always within reach.
While the first season of Beyond the Buzzer focused on topics like sports medicine, broadcast production and event setup, this year is all about the student athletes — including undergraduate and graduate students across three of the university's colleges.
This year's series was filmed, edited and produced by Digital Media Arts students Alexis Randolph '27, Eli Bieker '26 and Sylvia Guertin '27, and then released in a social media campaign. The group was mentored by Peter Gregg, associate professor and chair of the department of Emerging Media.
After transferring colleges and overcoming injuries, first-generation college student Anthony Borom reflects on the mentors who helped him reach graduation and the opportunities awaiting him in his career.
The students collaborated on a vision for the series at the end of the fall 2025 semester and then worked with Mike Gallagher in Athletics to refine their ideas. Production began at the start of the following semester. Bieker and Randolph were the "on the ground" team, while Guertin, who was studying abroad in Ireland at the time, contributed objective feedback and additional oversight from across the Atlantic.
Graduate student and softball player Cassidy Carby reflects on the friendships, trust and sense of belonging she found on her team, and how those relationships have shaped her understanding of success.
The experience was collaborative, thorough and rewarding for the student journalists. They conducted interviews, visited athletes' homes to learn about their families and backgrounds, joined them at important events and nights out and, of course, they documented the athletes in action.
"It was a treat to get to know these incredible people and bring their stories to the St. Thomas community," said Bieker. "Working on this series really helped me develop as a media producer and built my confidence for the professional world."
