Emery Wainscott
Features Editor
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A Murray State graduate was hired on the production crew for the television series “Grey’s Anatomy.”

 Krista Vernoff, the showrunner for “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Station 19,” approached Jordyn Rowland with an opportunity to work as a writers’ production assistant.

Rowland said per her contract, she is not able to answer questions about job specifics, but she can share how the opportunity presented itself and what steps she’s taken to get here.

“Krista is one of the biggest names in TV right now, and out of all the people, she picked me,” Rowland said. “It’s for sure a ‘pinch me’ moment.”

Rowland graduated in 2019 with a bachelor of science in public relations. She founded the Murray State chapter of Her Campus, an online media publication for college women, and was also a member of the TV club.

“This is just a little fun fact, but in one of Dr. Anderson’s classes, we had to start a blog and that’s where this all started, I think,” Rowland said. “I wrote an episode review of Grey’s just for fun and it snowballed into me working on the show. Krista used to read them every week, so I know that’s how she found me.”

“Grey’s Anatomy” has been running since 2005, making it the longest-running medical drama on television. The show has won numerous awards, including two Golden Globes and five Emmy awards.

The upcoming season is due to premiere on Sept. 30. Two cast members, Kate Burton and Peter Gallagher, have been announced to return in season 18. Rowland said filming has been going on for about two weeks, so she’s in the office daily. 

“It just depends on what’s going on,” Rowland said. Also, with L.A. opening back up, I’m not totally sure what the season will look like once filming starts back up… I’m sure things will change 35 times before we really get a groove going.”

Rowland said she has not worked in TV before as a paid employee, only as a volunteer. Before her role as writers’ PA, she worked in fashion for two years. Rowland said building genuine relationships and using social media to her advantage was key in getting to where she is now.

“It is such a hustle at first — working a day job you probably don’t love or is in a totally unrelated field,” Rowland said. “You just kind of have to grin and bear it and be thankful you can pay your rent on time. I had great bosses who knew what I wanted to do, so they were totally supportive when this all happened, and it happened super fast.”

Rowland said her experience at Murray State allowed for her to build her own program and have freedom with her education. 

“I’d write little short films instead of a newscast in some of my JMC classes, I’d write pilot episodes in English classes instead of short stories… things like that,” Rowland said. “Everyone really went out of their way to help me create something that worked and I’m always going to be grateful for that.”

Rowland said she feels grateful for the opportunity and hopes she’s living up to expectations.

“My first TV job being on the 18th season of one of the most popular shows in the world was and still is super intimidating,” Rowland said. “I try not to take anything for granted while I’m here. It’s so fun coming here for work every single day.

“Grey’s Anatomy” airs weekly on Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC. It is also available to stream through the ABC app or website.