National Football League sideline reporter Drea Avent took center stage as the keynote speaker for Cal State Long Beach’s Journalism and Careers Day on Tuesday.
Avent graduated from CSULB in 2001 with a degree in journalism.
She addressed students in the USU Ballroom that was at full capacity. The theme of this year’s Journalism Day was, “Young and Making it in Journalism and Public Relations,” and was organized by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications.
“This is where I got my swagger,” Avent said. “When I am doing interviews with Michael Vick, Cam Newton, and other superstars of the world, I draw on my experience here at Long Beach State.”
Avent knew from a young age that she wanted to be a sportscaster on TV and is now living her dream of reporting on the biggest games for NFL on Fox.
Her success did not come easily, however, and she was constantly told she would never succeed and should choose a different career.
“Nothing worthwhile is easy,” Avent said.
Avent sent out 300 resume reels and every one of them was rejected. She did not let that deter her and received her first break with the 301st resume reel she sent out to News 24 Houston.
She said she didn’t know anybody in Houston but decided to take a chance. She moved to the Texas metropolis within two weeks of getting hired and said she was immediately “thrown into the fire.”
“I had to film my own stories and shoot my own stories,” Avent said. “I had to prove myself.”
Avent said she faced many struggles as a young woman in the field. She said she had to prove herself to the players, coaches and her colleagues.
“As a female, credibility is everything,” she said.
As she gained credibility in Houston, sports players stopped hitting on her and began taking her seriously, when they realized she was more than just a pretty face.
When she was finally gaining her stride, the station shut down. Ninety resume reels later, she was hired as a sportscaster for Fox San Antonio.
“I was doing well, and you know what happens when you do well,” Avent said. “You get haters.”
She said her co-workers didn’t like her success. Avent’s co-workers were jealous that players and coaches preferred to interview with her. Eventually, people began sabotaging her success and some even stole her tapes.
“I was devastated,” Avent recalled. “Why would they do this to me?”
She said situations like this made her realize another important key to success.
“You have to be tough to succeed in journalism,” she said.
Her father would tell her, “So what if they are hating on you? It means that you are doing something right.”
She said this was a turning point in her career and made her realize no one was going to stop her from doing what she loves.
At the end of her speech, Avent shared her five keys to success. She said that every journalism student should have confidence, a plan, a positive attitude, tough skin and determination.
“It is comforting to know that a person who was once in my shoes is now doing big things,” said Michelle Velez, a senior journalism major.
Marc Mejia, a junior journalism major, said that he has attended other events where older professionals speak, but he was able to relate to Avent because she was younger and more relevant.
“She’s a fighter; I don’t think I would have the drive to send 300 clips,” Eddie Perez, a senior journalism major, said. “She gave me some drive and seeing other people with that passion is encouraging.”
Avent has been in the industry for six years and in addition to her experience with NFL on Fox, she has done sideline reporting for Major League of Soccer and college football reporting for Fox Sports. This July, she is covering women’s soccer at the 2012 Summer Olympics for NBC.