Chelsea Sherrod ‘16 (she/her), a sports reporter/host in Boston, Massachusetts, did not get where she is today by patiently waiting for opportunities to come to her. After attending a large high school in Stratford, Connecticut, Chelsea found herself at Albertus Magnus College. Drawn in by our tight-knit community, Chelsea loved how she got to know everyone on campus so quickly.
“There was a sense of closeness and family. It’s something I didn’t think I was going to get in college.”
Coming from a family passionate about sports, Chelsea played basketball in high school and throughout all four years of her Albertus career. She says it would be a lie if she said she never dreamed of playing professionally.
“My initial thought about going to Albertus was, maybe I can go here for a couple of years, and then maybe there will be an opportunity to transfer to a D2 school.”
But one Albertus professor opened up the realm of possibilities for Chelsea with a way she could successfully keep sports in her life after graduation. Sport Management Program Director Kristen DeCarli introduced her to the industry of sports broadcasting and encouraged Chelsea to conduct student-athlete of the month reports on campus.
“If I didn’t have that interaction with Kristen, who knows what would have happened.”
Although Chelsea recalls watching sports journalists growing up, it never really occurred to her that she could be part of that world. Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, Cari Champion, and Sage Steele were some of the Women of Color in sports broadcasting that she began to look up to during her time at Albertus.
“Since then, there have been so many other Women of Color who have come up the ranks since then. There has been a lot of growth. There can only be more growth going forward.”
When it comes to Chelsea’s professional growth, she learned that she did not need to settle for opportunities that did not serve her interests. Her first job out of college was as an operations technician at Regional Network News (RNN) in Ryebrook, New York. While she gained behind-the-scenes knowledge, she knew she had to lay the groundwork for her next career move. Chelsea connected with the station’s sports director, Justin Walters, by simply bumping into him in the breakroom and telling him about her goals. Justin enthusiastically mentored Chelsea, helping her with her reel. While she shadowed him, she also landed a part-time gig as a Production Assistant at NBC Sports to continue honing in her skills.
As her search for the next step continued, Chelsea attended a job fair hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists. She connected with a woman from a news station in Mississippi who was looking for a multimedia journalist (MMJ). With the competitive nature of the industry, Chelsea felt like she had to take the job, even though it wasn’t something she really wanted to do. That’s when Justin told her “it’s okay to say no to your first opportunity.”
Chelsea is grateful she said no, because if she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have been able to say yes to the job she truly wanted – her first sports anchoring position at WKTV in Utica, New York. How did she land the job? In true Chelsea fashion by making the first move and cold-emailing the news director of the station.
“It was nervewracking because I didn’t know anyone or have any family there, but that’s what you’ve got to do– you’ve got to take the leap.”
That leap lead to another only a year and a half later– her current role as reporter/host at New England Sports Network (NESN) in Boston.
Chelsea sets her goals with her future self in mind. She knows how important it is to be multifaceted in your skills. That’s why she is currently earning her Master’s in Strategic Communications and Public Relations.
“You shouldn’t lose something that you’re passionate about just because you’re focused on one career path. One thing that’s in us (athletes) is the competitive spirit, knowing there’s something to do and there’s something to accomplish, and that’s how I look at my career.”
Being a successful Black Woman in the sports industry, she knows how important it is to support and keep the door open for other women in her field, and to have male allies as she had with Justin.
“There are so many people within the sports industry who think women do not have a place here. As a Woman of Color in the industry, who at times has been the only woman or the only Woman of Color in rooms of just older men, it’s important to know that there IS a space for you here. Representation needs to be in the media room.”
Her advice for our Black Alumni of tomorrow? Do not be afraid to try different things. As someone who was not afraid to reach out to people she thought she wouldn’t hear back from, she says you would be surprised at how often professionals are willing to help.
“Don’t be afraid to start somewhere that will get you to where you want to be.”
Above all– Chelsea says to be yourself. This is something she admits is challenging and continues to work on.
“As a Black Woman, you feel like you have to fit a certain mold. And if you don’t fit that mold, you’re not going to get a job. That’s something that I’m working on every single day– to be authentic.”
As if all of this advice wasn’t supportive enough, Chelsea says she is always here for students at her Alma Mater.