At an event hosted by the UConn Sport Business Association on September 22, 2015, students and faculty from the UConn Sport Management community were treated to a visit from the highly rated African-American columnist and broadcasting personality from ESPN, Jamele Hill, co-host of ESPN2’s His & Hers show.If you are a past, present, or prospective student, this was a great opportunity for students majoring in Sport Management, Business or Journalism to learn about Jemele’s background and experiences as she ascended through the ranks in pursuit of a career in sport journalism.

Jemele began by discussing her background, and how she managed to work herself up to journalistic heights she had never imagined reaching. A Detroit native, Jamele made the most of her time as a Journalism major at Michigan State, often juggling multiple internships with the athletic department in order to give her exposure to as many sports and media opportunities as possible. Her broad knowledge of sports was key in obtaining her first professional role as a sports writer at the Raleigh News & Observer. Jemele built upon this experience and went on to work for the Detroit Free Press, where she would cover both basketball and football for her alma mater. Her last stop before being employed by ESPN network was as a columnist for the Orlando Sentinel. Since joining ESPN in 2006, she has made appearances on many shows across their network, including Sport Center, First Take, Outside the Lines and the Sport Reporters.

One of the key take-a-ways from this event was Jemele’s perseverance in achieving success as a sports journalist, as African-American women have tended to have a difficult time succeeding in the industry. All in all, this was a great event that was informative to past, present, and prospective UConn students who have future endeavors in Sport Management, Business or Journalism.