She’s out to change the world

Iowa State senior Jasmine Thompson of McDonald is hoping to capitalize on the discipline she has learned as a gymnast to become an executive television producer, creating family-type programs that make the world better.

“My ultimate goal is to be an executive producer of a show like ‘Friends’ as an example, and really do a Cosby-type show that is family-oriented and funny and not vulgar like some of the shows are today,” said Thompson, a McDonald High graduate specializing in the all-around in gymnastics and majoring in broadcast journalism.

“I’d like to move back to that kind of show, the type where I can make a statement. I’d like my future show to display good morals and good family values with none of the vulgarity you see today, and in that way make my statement. I may be able to influence millions of people and that’s what I want to do.”

Iowa State lost its season opener last Friday at home to No. 19-ranked Missouri, 195.050-193.175, and will play host to Nebraska tonight at 7.

Thompson, the daughter of William and Beatrice Thompson who trained at Olympic Dreams under Gary and Dawn Toussaint, has the intelligence, discipline and determination to make all of her television dreams come true.

Not only has Thompson been a consistently strong and reliable gymnastics performer for the previous two seasons, but she also has achieved a 3.57 grade-point average and made the Academic All-Big 12 first team as a sophomore and junior, and the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll four semesters.

Worked for Fox Sports: Best Damn Sports Show

Thompson increased her interest in television production this past summer while doing her required 500-hour internship as a broadcast journalism major for Fox Sports in Los Angeles for more than three months.

Thompson worked on the Best Damn Sports Show, a late-nightly show on Fox Sports with Chris Rose and John Salley, on an eight-hour daily schedule.

“I did a lot of different things. I gathered a lot of video and did a lot of dubbing, a lot of intern work, and I actually got to put two segments together for one of the shows when they were doing the Hooters packet,” said Thompson. “I put together two long segments from commercial to commercial. It was a big deal because an intern usually doesn’t do that kind of work.”

She also discovered that she would like to do TV production in other areas and not sports.

“I really enjoyed it. It really was different from what we study at school,” said Thompson. “I do want to stay in the TV field but work on sitcoms or comedy shows, something like ‘Friends.’ That’s the type of show I would like to work on.

“I have been in sports for so long. I have been in gymnastics since I was 7. It’s not that I don’t love it and appreciate it, but I am ready to move out of sports into another realm.”

Believes gymnastics will help TV career

Thompson believes being a gymnast and the changes and adjustments that she has had to make during a demanding career will help her be a good television producer.

“I would have to say that being able to take correction has helped me the most,” said Thompson, who last year placed third in the all-around at the Big 12 Championship with a season-high 39.275. She had a joint third on bars (9.850) and eighth on beam (9.825) and floor (9.800) with a 9.800 on vaulting.

“It is easy to slack off in school but gymnastics gave me a sense of responsibility at any age. It is second nature to me. It is easy to take criticism and make corrections after you have been doing it your whole life in gymnastics. I hope that I can apply that to my career as well and I think it will help me.”

XJohn Kovach covers colleges for The Vindicator. Write to him at kovach@vindy.com.