Major:
Integrated Strategic Communication
Year Graduated:
2007
Hometown:
Gainesville, Fla.
Current City:
New Orleans
Current Employer:
Assistant Commissioner for Communications & Branding at the Sun Belt Conference
Top played song on your playlist?:
Walk On by U2
Where has your CI degree taken you?:
My degree has taken me on an incredible journey through a career in college athletics, primarily in the communications field. Starting as a student assistant in athletics media relations during my time at UK, I’ve worked in athletics at the University of Central Florida (2008), the University of Florida (2008-11), the Southeastern Conference (2011-15), the University of Texas (2015-20), Frankel Agency (2020-21) and now the Sun Belt Conference since 2021. I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many terrific people – student-athletes, coaches, administrators and fellow staff – who have made a big impact on my life. And I’ve been able to travel to so many places because of my job, including Italy, Hawaii and The White House. I’m currently pursuing my master’s degree in Sport Studies from Tulane University (graduating December 2022) and, earlier this year, earned my Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America.
What is your favorite thing about your job?:
The best part of all of the jobs I have had is working with student-athletes. At the conference office level, it’s being really focused on helping create the best possible student-athlete experience at our championships, and making sure their voices are heard and considered in the legislative process at the conference and NCAA levels. In the jobs I have held on campus, the absolute best part is working with student-athletes to tell their own personal stories, help them develop their personal brands and help them become comfortable with public speaking and interacting with the media. It is so rewarding to see how the confidence of a student-athlete grows as they tell and embrace their personal story, and as they become comfortable speaking with the media over the course of their four-year college careers. Developing confidence in public speaking is something that will serve the student-athletes well regardless of what careers they choose, whether it be as a professional athlete, as a coach, in the business world, or any other field.
What¹s the most valuable thing you learned in CI?:
The most valuable thing I learned in my degree program was the practical application of the material we learned. I think the UK College of Communication and Information does a great job in every class of applying what students learn to real-world careers and exposing students to a variety of career paths that they can pursue with the degree. It’s not a theoretical degree. Whether it’s the projects we worked on as students or things like the Bowling Lecture Series that exposed us to professionals in the field, the College of Communications and Information prepares students really, really well for their future careers.
What advice would you give to current CI students?:
I would encourage current students to get involved and gain experience in any way possible. There are so many opportunities both on campus and within the Lexington community to begin getting practical experience in the careers you want to pursue. Seek out those opportunities and don’t hesitate to reach out to current professionals for advice or to ask to get involved.