Keshia Walker has been producing among the greatest occasions in sports activities for over twenty years. She can be the primary girl to supply the SIAC and SWAC Convention Championships as they have been each held in Atlanta this yr. Keshia Walker took A Seat At The Desk to inform us about her journey in HBCU sports activities and manufacturing.
What does company sponsorship and media protection play in increasing the attain and affect of HBCU athletics?
It’s the whole lot. It provides college students an opportunity to have the ability to be seen in a company gentle. It supplies a lot wanted monetary funding into what we already know, among the finest and brightest come out of HBCUs. It’s additionally a possibility to place our HBCUs on a nationwide and even world platform by way of our partnerships with some wonderful company and media companions.
What challenges did you face on this business?
Initially, being a feminine in what they contemplate to be a nontraditional business, all the time has its challenges. Most males and males that appear to be us, sadly, a variety of occasions turn out to be intimidated, threatened, when girls who’ve a monitor report, who’ve the expertise, and extra importantly, the power to not solely meet them on the desk, however beat them on the desk, get threatened, and generally they’ll do something to try to steal your glory and nonetheless shine. However I’m a really spiritually based mostly and a really woman-based individual. I do know girls can do any and the whole lot, and the truth that we’re doing it throughout girls’s historical past month as nicely, and have that chance to make historical past. And I’ve an incredible management group round me.
It’s Girls’s Historical past Month. Who impressed you?
Oh, completely. I’ve to present main shout outs to Rowena Miller at Area of interest advertising and marketing. She’s been a mentor for years for me. Adrian Trimble over at visa, she’s been a supporter. Tequila Smith at ReWorld, all the time having our again, all the time supporting the work that we do, irrespective of the place we’re and what medium. And so they give me a possibility to have fun and honor some wonderful girls.
What’s some recommendation for the ladies who desires to be?
A mentor and a champion, a sponsor, if you wish to name it that, and don’t be afraid to ask completely different folks to try this. Generally these sponsors, mentors, champions could not appear to be you, and that’s okay. A whole lot of occasions it’s even higher to have a number of folks within the room celebrating and supporting you and supplying you with suggestions. And don’t be afraid to achieve out and ask for short-term or half time recommendation or help. They don’t should be a mentor for years. Don’t put a time stamp on it. And generally they might say no for proper now or is probably not accessible, comply with again up in a number of weeks or months and take a look at once more. However extra importantly, simply ensure you discover people who find themselves profitable on this house that you just need to enter, and ask them, at a minimal, for recommendation, and finest case, they turn out to be a mentor or a sponsor of you.