COM Week

       Last night, I attended the Sports and Event Management presentation of Brandon Beane, the Assistant General Manager of the Carolina Panthers. Beane spoke about his past prior to working with the Carolina Panthers, and how he grew both personally and professionally to get to where he is today. A North Carolina native, Beane came from humble beginnings, and started off college at UNC Wilmington studying teaching. What he soon realized was that he wasn't passionate about teaching, and decided to switch majors to Communication. He dreamt of working for a large organization, such as the Carolina Panthers or the Charlotte Hornets, but he had no experience in the field and didn't think he seemed "appealing" to such organizations. The first time Beane had exposure in this field was through an unpaid internship after he graduated from college, which is something that I found compelling and interesting. As a college student, the idea of not having a clear career path or a job set up post-graduation is the equivalent of coming to the realization that Trump might be our next President. It's petrifying. His drive and determination outweighed the uncertainty of not knowing when his next job offer was going to arise and when he was going to start making money. This is something that resonated with me, as I realized that above all, you must follow your dreams and strive to do what you're passionate about, rather than worrying about having a set career path or a high salary. It's almost like I have these invisible deadlines in my head, constantly worrying about gaining an internship by this year, and securing a job by that year. Brandon Beane showed me that it's not about the materialistic things, the title, the salary, the actual job, but rather it's about following your dreams.
       Brandon Beane climbed the Communication ladder of the Carolina Panthers to get to where he is today. He was so determined to work with the Panthers, so he took any and every opportunity presented to him. He worked in media relations and football operations prior to becoming Assistant General Manager. When it comes to the concept of communication, Beane became accustomed to every aspect of communication, even if it wasn't exactly what he wanted to do. Being a holistic, well-rounded employee made him successful in his career, which is something that the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication is bases its teachings off of. As a Communication major, I'm exposed to all aspects of communication, which is something that has proven to be beneficial in the work force. In just a few short months at High Point University, I have gained a plethora of knowledge about advertising, public relations, using Adobe software, and so much more.