Ahead of a quickly approaching Spring 2025 graduation, senior broadcast journalism student Jefferey Hood Jr will spend his spring semester in “Queen City” Charlotte, North Carolina, as a production intern at ESPN. Taking it to the next level, Hood will spend his days editing video content and gaining hands-on experience with live programs.
Since transferring to the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication for the fall 2022 semester, Hood has been steady at his craft, holding roles within student media such as sports director for WANM 90.5 “The Flava Station,” sports multimedia journalist for FAMU TV-20 and sportswriter for the FAMUAN Newspaper.
“Have a lot of faith in God, have a lot of faith in yourself, and have a lot of confidence in yourself,” said Hood about his journey thus far and this new opportunity.
Growing up primarily in Fayette County, Georgia, Hood had a natural passion for sports, participating in basketball, football, baseball, and track. He was urged to take on sports journalism by a seventh-grade teacher, Ms. Davenport. It was a closed case when she noticed his passion for talking about sports coupled with his writing.
Hood initially attended the University of Alabama but decided to look at some Historically Black Colleges and University options after not finding a community that looked like him and related to him. The former News 20 associate producer visited Florida A&M University that school year and spoke with SJGC Dean Mira Lowe and Dean of Students Dr. William Hudson, who both assured him that his aspirations were plausible reality attending FAMU.
“I’ve enjoyed my experience here at FAMU ever since I started,” said Hood.
Before he even started college, ESPN was one of Jefferey’s biggest goals. Looking up to personalities like Craig Sager and Paul Finebaum, Hood had his work cut out for him. However, his journey was not smooth sailing; Hood expressed that when he first got to SJGC, he was shy and did not enjoy speaking in front of people or behind the microphone.
By working with mentors and his peers semester by semester, Hood saw growth in his confidence, especially at the school radio station working with Director Terrence Ward. The sportswriter also attributes his growth in his writing to Professor Clarence Fowler and his peers at the FAMUAN.
With just a week left in the semester, Hood offers a few pieces of advice for finding success akin to his. First is having faith in God and His path for you. “Maybe it’s not your plan, but it’s His plan,” he said.
“Someone that will listen to you, whether it’s a therapist, a good friend, or your parents, have someone to hear your problems, understand you, and understand why you go so hard,” Hood said as his second piece of advice.
The last thing Hood recommends is having mentors and being willing to seek information to apply to your skill set and journey. For Hood, he found mentorship in SJGC alumni Ahmad Kebe and Malik Burgess, along with Atlanta Journal-Constitution NFL Pro Sports and Atlanta Falcon writer D. Orlando Ledbetter.
Beyond his spring stint at ESPN, Hood aims to spend his summer as a part of the NBAxHBCU Fellowship, complete his degree in the fall, and find his way back to ESPN to become an on-air personality.
“Being a part of the ESPN family means the world,” said Hood.
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