This evening (November 6), RRC Polytech will name Tessa Potter, an Emmy award-winning broadcast technician, the recipient of its 2025 Distinguished Graduate Award.
The award, which recognizes the remarkable personal and professional achievements of RRC Polytech alumni, will be formally presented at an event marking the 60th anniversary of the Electrical Engineering Technology program.
Potter graduated from the program's Electronic Engineering specialization in 2000 and has since built a distinguished career in television, radio and live broadcasting, earning two Sports Emmy Awards for her work behind the camera at the 2022 Beijing and 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
"Tessa's career shows how far a polytechnic education can take you, particularly in technical industries," says Fred Meier, President and CEO, RRC Polytech.
"Tessa has built an incredible career through collaboration, hard work and continuous learning, which are all qualities that reflect her character and RRC Polytech's values. We're proud to count Tessa among our alumni and pleased to recognize her with this award."
Potter works as a Senior Broadcast Technician at SBL Engineering and as a Broadcast Liaison with True North Sports + Entertainment, where she's been supporting NHL and AHL broadcasts for over a decade. She balances these roles with broadcast contracts for major international sporting events, such as the UEFA EURO Finals, FIFA World Cup, Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games.
"I'm surprised, but also proud to be acknowledged as a worker who has taken my education and turned it into a career that has been valuable, given me the ability to look after my family and filled my days with challenge, intrigue and some really great people," says Potter.
"Working in a field like electronics, the range of places where your skills can be applied is really wide. I now understand the importance of that fundamental knowledge even more than I did at the time."
Beyond her professional accolades, Potter is also a passionate advocate for her industry and for greater representation within it, as well as a mentor to the next generation of professionals. She has served as a subject-matter expert at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and as the first female president of the Western Association of Broadcast Engineers for the past five years.
"In accepting this, I think about future students and how sometimes you can't be what you can't see," she says. "Behind-the-scenes workers like me represent a career path many don't know about, but it exists. If someone with my education realizes there are technical jobs like this and it sparks their interest, we might just have one more worker ready to join our teams."
