Hometown: Starkville, MS

Degree: B.S. in Sport Communication, 2004

What are the responsibilities of your current position?

I help oversee the production of various publications, both print and digital, for our college athletics department clients. Some of the schools I work with include Arkansas, Baylor, Cincinnati, Florida, Rice, Tennessee and Texas. I work on the project from the beginning, from initial design to the actual running of the presses. A majority of my work is asset organization, followed by page layout and copy editing.

What is your favorite part of the position?

The people, without a doubt. I love my co-workers and clients that I deal with on a daily basis. I really get a chance to work with some fantastic people every single day.

How did your education at MSU help prepare you for your field?

The key was the breadth of knowledge that I received from the variety of classes and experiences that I had while at MSU. While no one class is ever able to get someone ready for a job, the combined effect of the discipline learned from my professors along with the knowledge they shared gave me the critical thinking and problem solving skills needed to adjust to any curveball thrown my way in my career.

What advice would you give current students looking for internships or jobs in your field?

The key to this, and pretty much any job, is networking and maintaining friendships all over the place. Go work in the athletics department at Mississippi State and get involved all over the place on campus. Never pass up an opportunity to meet someone new in the field, because you never know if that is the person that will remember how hard you worked writing back-up stats at a basketball game when they are making a hiring decision. The friend you make working together setting up a press-box might be the person who tells you about a great opportunity at his school five years down the line.