Ortonville-When Jenny Olsen graduated from Brandon High School in 1986, she recalls that no one wanted to admit they were from Ortonville.
‘Everyone made fun of it because it’s a hick town,? she remembers. ? But if it weren’t for Ortonville and growing up in the country, I wouldn’t have been exposed to all the outdoors stuff I was and I wouldn’t have the job I have today.?
Olsen’s current job as editor and videographer for the nationally televised show ‘Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild,? along with other accomplishments including work as co-host and co-producer of the ‘Michigan Out-of-Doors? TV show, have earned her entry into the Brandon High School Hall of Fame.
Olsen was chosen as the 2005 inductee for making exemplary contributions in her field of work as deemed by the Brandon High School Pride Selection Committee. Nominees must have graduated from Brandon High School at least ten years before being inducted. As the newest Hall of Fame member, Olsen will speak at the BHS commencement on May 29 at Meadowbrook Theatre.
The road to Olsen’s current career took a few detours. After graduating from Brandon, Olsen went to Michigan State University, pursuing a degree in accounting.
‘By my junior year in college, I realized I hated accounting, but followed through with it,? said Olsen.
After graduating from MSU, Olsen went to work in her father’s machine shop, running the office, doing the books and running machines if operators didn’t show up. She was 30 before she figured out she wanted to be an outdoors writer. Olsen had grown up hunting and fishing with her family, which includes five brothers. She always loved writing, but says it just never occured to her she could do it.
After a trip to Key West, Fla. her friend Matt called from Michigan and told her that the host of the Michigan Out-of-Doors show was leaving. He made her promise to try for the job. Although Olsen had no broadcasting experience or education in the field, she packed up her Jeep and came home almost three months early.
The producers of the program were looking for a woman who knew how to hunt and fish and could do editing and other ‘TV stuff.? They had been able to find women who had the latter qualities, but not the former. Olsen had the former, but not the latter. She told them she would be willing to work for nothing. They hired her and Olsen started immediately, losing $3,000 of rent money on the Key West condo for the job, which had a starting salary of $11,000 a year. Living with her parents in Ortonville because she couldn’t afford rent, she drove 85 miles one way to work in Lansing, where they gave her on-the-job training.
‘I was nervous on camera at first,? says Olsen.
She was the co-producer and co-host of the Michigan Out-of-Doors TV show for five and a half years. For two of those years, she also produced and co-hosted the WJR radio show of the same name.
During her years working for Michigan Out-of-Doors, Olsen taped various hunts and fishing expeditions and highlighted different sportsmen and women. She interviewed, wrote scripts and did narration for the show.
‘It was an incredible experience to have, not having a degree in any of that stuff,? said Olsen. ‘I met a lot of cool, fun people.?
She began working Feb. 1 as an editor and videographer for ‘Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild? television show, which appears nationally on The Outdoor Channel.