This story was submitted by James Biglan, a Glenside/Cheltenham Township resident who is currently studying communications at the University of Pittsburgh

Glenside resident Bruce Ryan is passionate about telling the stories that matter.

Now the chief photojournalist for NBC10/Telemundo62, Ryan’s love for journalism began at Penn State University, his alma mater.

“I was always kind of a news junkie,” he said, remembering how shooting a college baseball game sparked his passion for broadcasting. “I thought, ‘Oh man, this is great,’ because I was covering the stuff I really liked.”

But breaking into the world of media and journalism wasn’t easy. He recalled the difficulties of his early career: “I’d send letters or emails, say I was in town, then show up at the station front desk.”

Ryan juggled multiple side gigs—freelancing for a high school sports show, shooting real estate commercials, and more—to make ends meet.

“One of the keys I found back then was that I was always able to do four or five different things. So, if you needed me to report, I could report. I could shoot. I could edit. I could produce,” he said.

His persistence paid off, landing an editing job in Scranton on the condition that he would eventually get to be on air.

Though he started with time in front of the camera, Ryan found his true stride behind it.

“Now that I’m a photojournalist, I still do the same thing—I just don’t do it in front of the camera,” he said.

Despite filming Super Bowls, the Olympics, and presidential campaigns, some of his proudest moments are more low-key.

“Helping someone get their basement flood fixed or telling a family’s story after they lost a loved one—that stuff sticks with you,” he said. “All those little moments really do build up, and it makes you feel like, ‘Oh, this is one of the reasons I got into doing this in the first place.’”

One of Ryan’s proudest reflections on his career is being part of a community of journalists dedicated to their craft.

“There’s a lot of really good people in the business that are trying to do the job right. And I think that messaging gets lost sometimes with all the social media noise and the current political environment,” he said.

Now a proud Glenside resident, he said he finds fulfillment in his work and community.

“We found a great place to live, the community is great, and the people are really nice… I don’t feel like I left Philadelphia, which is very cool since I’m a Philadelphia kid at birth.”

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Photos: James Biglan courtesy of Bruce Ryan