ESPN 101 High School Career Panel Kicks Off 6th Annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge

Hundreds of Central Florida high school students visiting the Walt Disney World Clubhouse of Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida heard some direct, real-world advice for jump-starting their careers from a panel of experts at the top of their profession in sports and entertainment.

The high school juniors and seniors from across Orange County came into the gymnasium on Thursday morning chanting and singing, showing off their school spirit. The panel urged students to channel that spirit into their future and take on the challenges of starting a career.

“You need to be bold,” said Jay Harris, anchor with ESPN SportsCenter. “When I was first starting my career I was never afraid to ask for advice or opportunities. Being bold is what will make you stand out from the rest of your peers.”

A long line of students at the Disney-sponsored event stepped up to the microphone to pepper the panel with questions, such as:

• “How do you stay motivated in your career when you’ve reached the top?”
• “After high school, what kind of goals did you set right away?”
• “What kind of degree did you get?”

Panelists answered each question with their own take but a common theme emerged as all of them emphasized that young people about to start their careers face new challenges that didn’t exist a few years ago.

“When you go for that job you need be open and share your goals and dreams,” said Gerald Jones with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers front office. “Because when you share your goals and dreams your passion shines through and letting your passion shine through is the challenge I’d have for each of you here today.”

Students visited with the panelists after the event for a little one-on-one advice.

The career panel kicks off several days of events culminating in the 6th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney, an exciting football match-up at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium between two Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) schools. This year, the Southern University Jaguars of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will take on the Delaware State Hornets of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) on Sunday, Sept. 5 at noon. The game will be televised on the networks of ESPN.

Fredricka Wilson brought a group from Jones High School to the Career Panel event but said she’s already thinking about this weekend’s matchup. The Southern University alumnae had a dire warning for Delaware State Hornets fans: “We’re bringing in 12 buses from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to help pack Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium. Southern University will win – no doubt about it!”

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