On Friday, August 30, 2013, the New Schools at Carver hosted Mr. Corey Chavous, former NFL player, as the inaugural speaker of the media center’s new initiative, “See What You Can Be.” During his NFL career, Mr. Chavous played for the The Arizona Cardinals, the Minnesota Vikings and the St. Louis Rams.
While Chavous had phenomenal success on the football field, he spoke about his current career as a Sports Analyst and founder of his own media company and website. When he was a freshman at Vanderbilt University, he started thinking about what career he wanted to pursue. He was interested in Broadcast Journalism and secured four internships, which gave him a “jumpstart” in his career today. He advised students that when they are in college, they should seek to be a “stand-out.” A “stand-out” means that while they’re studying and maintaining good grades, they should engage in activities on and off campus that enhance their chosen major and career choice. He stated that a student, who doesn’t secure an internship or gains experience related to his/her career choice in college, cheats him or herself.
“One overlooked factor in choosing a college is its geographical location,” Chavous said. He believes that considering the location of the college is a strategy. For example, at a broadcast school, the internships and other broadcasting opportunities may be more competitive. Although Vanderbilt was not renowned for broadcast journalism, it was an excellent choice that allowed him to face less competition when he applied for broadcasting opportunities.
His final advice to students was to pursue a career that they would be passionate about. He also cautioned students to be careful about their image in social media. His parting exhortation was, “When you believe you’re where you need to be, you’ll never get where you want to go.”
– written by Linda Green, Media Specialist at New Schools at Carver
