Hometown: Jackson, Mississippi

Degree: M.S. in Sport Administration, 2006

Tell us about the responsibilities involved in your current position.

I am the primary contact for volleyball, softball, cross country, and track and field. My responsibilities include coordinating statistics on each game day for volleyball and softball, writing press releases and game recaps for all four sports, updating information on the Samford Athletics website, as well as writing all content and helping to design media guides for each of my sports. I also assist in the media relations aspects of football and basketball game days (making sure all media members have the appropriate information to do their jobs to the best of their abilities). I also serve as part of the stat crew for basketball, as I call out each play to someone who inputs it into a computer stats program.

What is your favorite aspect of your current position?

Game days. Although most game days can be extremely high pressure situations, I love that I get to see every play that happens. In other words, I rarely miss an exciting moment. I also love interacting with the student-athletes, building relationships with them, and being someone that they can come to in the highs and lows of life.

Have you observed any changing or developing trends currently occurring in your field? What do you see as the future of the field in which you work?

We all joke about how much of our job could be done from home. And I'm sure this is a trend that is occurring in many industries. The internet is the livelihood of our business and when someone is just a phone call or an email away, you could eventually see the convenience of working from home and just showing up for game days. I don't know that I see that as the future for the sports information industry, but I do see trends popping up of "cyber-izing" a lot of things, especially in dire economic times. Many institutions are starting to put media guides online and on CDs instead of spending the money to publish them as hard copies.

How did your education at Mississippi State help prepare you for working in your field?

Being a broadcasting major as an undergrad, I am now more able to see what the media are looking for in the realm of interesting stories and information. With my graduate degree, I learned more of the "big picture" of the athletic department and how each branch works together to be more effective. I now can (most of the time) anticipate what my administrators want from me and be more prepared when asked to do things.

Would you make any recommendations to recent graduates currently looking for internships or other positions in the field?

Start looking early and often. I would consider working/interning in several different aspects of the sports industry before you decide on one thing. For example, I was a student worker at MSU for two years and was able to volunteer at various SEC events. Then, I got an internship at a much smaller Division I school and now see the differences between the ways in which bigger and smaller schools work with the resources they have. Go for things that will bring out your natural abilities whether they be writing, speaking, videography and photography, or just smooth talking. And never, EVER, settle. You have to enjoy what you do or you will not be successful. My motto is, "the day you start to dread going to work is the day you need to find something else to do."