Name: Jarrett Hardwick
Major: Sports Media, Bachelor of Arts
Expected Graduation Date: 2015
Company: Oral Roberts University
Tulsa native Jarrett Hardwick came to OSU as a freshman with his eyes set on a sports media degree.
Since high school, he had always been involved in media and longed to build a career out of it. It wasn’t until his senior year at OSU that he found he was more interested in the communications happening behind the scenes.
Since graduating, Hardwick has been hard at work launching himself into his career. Bypassing what might take years for others to accomplish, Hardwick and his passion for sports and his drive for success landed him a significant communications position in 2016, only one year after graduating.
Hardwick serves as the primary media contact for the soccer, tennis and women’s basketball teams. He is in charge of all media relative to each sport, controlling what is sent out and responding to incoming information.
While at OSU, Hardwick worked in student government, athletic programs and with the athletic media relations department as a student assistant. His advice to current students would be to make the most of your time by getting involved in career-focused activities.
“Get as much experience in college as you can,” Hardwick said. “College is not forever, and you really need to gain experience in whatever field you’re going into.”
After graduation, Hardwick focused on improving his skills by volunteering for events with the NCAA and the Big 12 conference. Although he regrets not dedicating more time to his position as a media relations student assistant, he made up for lost experiences by always finding a way to stay involved, bettering his skills and building his resume.
Professionally, Hardwick has made big gains in a small period of time but still has plans to do more. He hopes to one day work for a bigger athletic office, such as OSU or another school in the Big 12.
x