By Da’ Ron Frost
Staff Writer
At the start of the spring 2015 semester at Cal State Dominguez Hills, I was advised not to switch my major from criminal justice to journalism after taking a personality test at the Career Center.
I am glad I didn’t take this advice. Now, at the start of the 2017 spring semester, I just came back from Houston, where I covered Super Bowl LI as an intern for the Pro Player Insiders publication.
When I started my internship at Pro Player Insiders, an official, licensed partner for NFL players, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. When I got a text in late December from Melissa Mahler, the publication’s CEO, asking if I wanted to cover the Super Bowl, I was in disbelief.
It ended up being the best week of my life.
I knew it was important to remain professional, and not become star struck around some of the game’s best players. I was not there as a fan, but as a journalist. It was a humbling experience, being one of the youngest writers covering the Super Bowl, while also being one of the few African-American journalists.
My workdays lasted until 3 a.m., and I had to wake up early for the Atlanta Falcons’ 8 a.m. press conferences. Even though I was working long days with little sleep, I appreciated every moment.
My first experience came at the Super Bowl LI opening night event, where journalists from different media platforms from across the world gathered in Minute Maid Park in Houston to ask players and coaches from the Falcons and New England Patriots a variety of questions.
Over the years I watched the event on TV, but being there is a totally different experience. The event was chaotic, but I also felt at home. My CSUDH professors had me well-prepared.
Even with all the excitement, Super Bowl week was nothing I couldn’t handle because I applied the journalism tools my professors introduced to me. I felt like I belonged with the rest of the media assigned to cover the week of events.
Being able to cover the Super Bowl was an honor after I was told two years prior not to pursue a career in journalism. If I would have taken career advice from a personality test, I wouldn’t have lived out one of my dreams: covering the Super Bowl.
