KANSAS - The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is proud to bring you the "KCAC Alumni Spotlight" series. Periodically, the conference will aim to highlight an alumnus of one of our KCAC full member institutions. We hope in this series to highlight successes that KCAC alumni had not only on the field, court, etc., but also in the classroom and now in their chosen professional field.
KCAC ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT — UNIVERSITY OF SAINT MARY
Alumnus: Jerrell Young
Degree Earned at Saint Mary: B.S. in Sport Management — Focus in Marketing (2014)
Career Alumnus Currently Holds: Real Estate Agent
Interview conducted and remarks dictated by Hannah VanCleave, Sports Information Director at Saint Mary
How did Jerrell's time at Saint Mary help to prepare him for life after college/entering the workforce?
"Jerrell had a very unique college experience while at USM. He transferred into USM at 19 years-old on the football team with a new baby of his own. The Saint Mary community truly rallied around him & encouraged/allowed him to not only pursue his degree, but also taught Jerrell what it meant to step up not only as a man but as a new father. Being a Spire and being pushed by his football team/coaches, Jerrell was taught the importance of taking care of your responsibilities and accomplishing everything to the best of his abilities. His time at USM propelled him to being a true man of integrity, sticking to his word, and the value of hard work and a strong work ethic with each of these things setting him up to be an industry leader in his career field. Jerrell Young in large part credits the coaches, environment, and the professors at the University of Saint Mary for teaching him a higher standard, not only on the football field, but a higher standard of living and operating to be the best dad and person he could be."
Were there any pre-professional experiences (internships/job shadows/etc.) during Jerrell's college years that prepared him for entering his chosen field?
"In terms of real estate, there wasn't a ton of exposure to the industry in terms of job shadowing other real estate professionals. However, Jerrell talked highly about an internship he had on the base at Fort Leavenworth, thanks to the connection from a fellow USM alum while Jerrell was still in school. This internship truly honed in on the importance of keeping tight inventory, having a deeper understanding of business models/organization, and understanding payroll--all of which Jerrell now does on a daily basis at his firm."
What lessons did Jerrell learn competing in collegiate athletics that helped prepare him for life after his playing days were over?
"Jerrell and I could talk for hours on what athletics teaches us. In short, what don't we learn from being an athlete? Jerrell touched on there being so many things his time as an athlete taught him & how many lessons he brought with him in life after football. He spoke about how you truly fall to the level of your systems/training, so consistently putting in the work to prepare yourself to succeed will put you in the best position to be able to receive that success. The preparation is the most important aspect of success; as an athlete, you're taught to lift heavier, run faster, identify where you went wrong so you can get better each day--this is where you're exposed to your strengths and weaknesses, learning how to better yourself along the way. You'll never be surprised when your hard work pays off, you've put in the time & effort to experience all the good things your preparation will bring."
ABOUT THE KANSAS COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and sponsors 28 varsity sports. Founded in 1890, the KCAC is the second oldest intercollegiate athletic conference in the country. As the conference home to 14 member institutions, the KCAC emphasizes commitment, cooperation, high achievement, and working towards a common goal in the act of competition. To keep up with the latest conference news, follow the KCAC on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram using the handle @kcacsports.
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