On a Thursday afternoon in May, after completing an interview for her Food Network: Obsessed podcast in New York City, Jaymee Sire takes time to reflect on where she spent the previous week, a week she describes as "being back home."
"That week was very special for me," she says.
A 2002 graduate from the Murrow College of Communication, Sire began the week in Pullman and ended it at Spokane as emcee for a fundraising event for the Washington State University Athletic Department: Night with Cougar Athletics, presented by Gesa Credit Union.
Sire admits she hasn't had the opportunity to be back in Pullman a lot since graduating.
However, this week Sire was able, as she says, "to spend some quality time" in Pullman serving as host for a 3-episode project for CougsFirst! scheduled to air in the fall.
"I came away from it a new-found appreciation for what makes that town so special and how WSU plays into that as well," she says. "Everybody we talked to have a similar sentiment: an undying passion for WSU and for the town of Pullman."
Path to Pullman
The journey to Pullman and WSU began in Sire's home state of Montana.
"I knew early on I wanted to go into broadcasting," Sire says, explaining she was part of all the "media things you can think of in high school," including involvement with the speech department, school newspaper and yearbook.
"I wanted to go to one of the best broadcasting schools that I could," she adds. "I kind of already knew it was going to be Washington State."
That belief, Sire said, was "cemented" the first time she stepped foot on WSU campus during a tour with her mother.
As she walked through campus, Sire quickly sensed a special aura throughout campus.
"The feeling of being welcomed and in a friendly place."
It was reinforced during the tour.
"We we're going through Murrow and we left the tour," Sire says with a laugh, explaining that "this is what I care about, and I want to know more what Murrow has to offer."
As the two were walking in the hallways, they encountered Marvin Marcelo, a professor at the college.
"He said, 'I'll give you a tour of everything,'" Sire remembers. "He took us around for 20-30 minutes, showing us the whole place and explaining the different aspects of going to school there and how that will benefit my career.
"I was sold," Sire adds. "I didn't even apply anywhere else. WSU was it for me."
From Murrow to Food Network
Sire's career journey after graduation has taken her across the country, from San Francisco working at CSN Bay Area, to ESPN as anchor for Sportscenter: AM, and the Food Network, where she was a judge on shows including Beat Bobby Flay and Food Network Star, a floor reporter on the first season of Iron Chef Showdown and, currently, host of the weekly Food Network: Obsessed podcast.
Sire credits the education she received at Murrow for her career path.
"I think hard work and being aware of the need to put that work in was definitely taught," Sire says.
As a student, Sire served as a reporter and news anchor for Cable 8 news, a nightly newscast produced, written, anchored and crewed by Murrow students, gaining invaluable experience creating a daily news program.
"We had the experience of broadcasting the news five days a week," Sire says. "No matter what, if you're ready to go or not, we were going on.
"Having that on-the-job experience was so, so valuable," Sire continues. "It gave me the tools to be successful. I felt like I already had a leg up on so many other people I was competing against for a job position because I had the experience of doing the news every day."
Night with Cougar Athletics
After spending Monday through Thursday in Pullman, Sire traveled north to nearby Spokane to serve as host for the Night with Cougar Athletics event, a role she has fulfilled dating back nearly a decade.
Night with Cougar Athletics is the signature event series for Washington State University Athletics, taking place annually throughout the state of Washington at three locations: Seattle, Tri-Cities, and, on this Friday evening in May, Spokane at Northern Quest Resort & Casino.
Proceeds from the event are directed to the Cougar Athletic Fund, the fundraising arm of WSU Athletics. In total, $850,000 was raised for WSU student-athletes from the three events in 2024, two of which Sire served as host in the Tri-Cities and Spokane.
"Being involved with a place that was so special to me and important in my career, and giving back in that way is really rewarding," Sire says of her emcee role.
"And I love being back in a room with a bunch of Cougs," Sire adds.
As part of her duties, Sire prepares opening remarks to kick off the night's program.
"That one was one of my easier opening remarks to prepare," Sire says, drawing on her experiences from the previous four days. "I could just talk about my experience of being back in Pullman and the feeling of being back home."
"Being able to share that with everybody was a no-brainer and it seemed like it resonated with people, so that's good to know," she says with a laugh. "Not only did it resonate with me but everybody in that room, and that's the reason why: It's because we all have this love and shared experience of having gone to school there."
Proud to be a Coug
Asked if she has a favorite memory during her time as a student at WSU, Sire can't narrow it down to just one; however, by just thinking back on those four years, she says she gets "all teared up."
"So many moments," she says. "The thing I remember most is the friendships I made when I was there. All those friendships and relationships have been important and really special. They last a lifetime.
"Being a Coug is that feeling you get when you're in Pullman, when you're at WSU and when you're around other Cougs," Sire continues. "It's a feeling of community and belonging and passion. I've never seen a more passionate group of people and I feel really proud to be a part of it."
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