Ryan Balton graduated with the Delaware Valley High School Class of 2007. He exhibited excellence in and outside the classroom. A National Honor Society member, Ryan received numerous academic awards and scholarships including induction into Mu Alpha Theta, the math honor society. His well-rounded school experience also involved being a four-time World Finalist of the Odyssey of the Mind, a representative of the Student Council for three years, and he was named the Most Outstanding DVHS Orchestra Member in grades 9 and 11. However, it was during this time that Ryan began to achieve success in the Media Arts. He was director/producer of Broadcast Del-Val, editor-in-chief of both the school newspaper and the DVMS observer, and the creator/editor/host of Podcast Del-Val. Through his community service, he displayed a spectrum of interests by participating with the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, United Way, Pike County Public Library, and Delaware River Cleanup organization.
En route to earning a dual BA in Television, Radio, Film and Policy Studies at Syracuse University, Ryan continued to hone his multimedia experience while keeping a strong connection to the community. During his four years there, he acted as staff writer/copyeditor for the Daily Orange, General Manager/web media director for Citrus TV, and Director/Engineer in Charge for the Orange Television Network. His efforts merited him several scholarships including the Pan Am 103 Remembrance Scholar and awards such as CitrusTV Sports Editor of the Year and the Syracuse University Award for Excellence by an Organization President. After graduation, Ryan created the DelAware Communications Journalism Scholarship, acted as a regular DV Career Day speaker, and managed the annual DelAware senior field trip to ESPN. In the capacity of Producer/ Director, he has had multiple documentary films entered into the Black Bear Film Festival, including We Were Quiet Once.
Ryan’s technical expertise led to positions with numerous networks including ESPN, where he currently holds the title of Lead Studio Operator responsible for programming ranging from studio shows like SportsCenter to live events, including the SEC Baseball Tournament. Through his talents as a camera and jib operator, he has covered a myriad of television shows and events. His work with ESPN has earned him the ESPN Production Ops “Standing O” award twice, along with the ESPN Visionary Awards for Outstanding Jib and Steadicam work.
Ryan Balton
