North Carolina A&T student passed up a Fortune 500 job to chase her sports dreams

I first heard about the Rhoden Fellows Initiative as a sophomore at North Carolina A&T State University. I had never had an internship and was eagerly searching for one. The fellowship’s description looked perfect for me, and I wanted nothing more than to be a Rhoden Fellow.

A few weeks after I applied, I received an update: I was among 12 finalists, and an interview would follow. I was thrilled. The fellowship previously had welcomed six students, so I said to myself, “My chances are pretty good, right?”

Well, I was wrong.

To be fair, I completely fumbled my interview. I vividly remember my interviewer asking, “Do you know what a peg is?” At the time, I had no clue, and my interviewer could tell. A couple weeks later, I got an email informing me I had been denied the fellowship, and I was distraught.

I’ve dealt with a lot of insecurities ever since I was young, and the denial certainly took a toll on my confidence. Luckily, I was able to secure another summer fellowship with CDW, an Fortune 500 information technology company in Chicago. Since the fellowship wasn’t related to journalism, I was extremely nervous and worried that I wouldn’t meet the company’s standards.

CDW’s perks were almost too good to be true. The internship offered a $5,000 stipend, a $12,500 scholarship and most importantly a guaranteed job with a Fortune 500 company if I completed the fellowship. But there was a catch – to receive the full-time offer, I would have to work with the company for two summers instead of one.

Fast-forward to my junior year of college, when I hit an all-time low. My confidence was shot, my grades were dropping and I didn’t have much motivation for school. I looked forward only to the weekly contributors’ meetings with The A&T Register, the campus newspaper. I was lead sports reporter, which felt like my calling.

Sooner than I expected, the application for the Rhoden Fellowship opened again. The anxiety and nervousness I felt applying for the second time didn’t compare to the first. Sports journalism is a competitive industry, and I was worried I might miss the opportunity again. Nonetheless, I applied the first day the fellowship opened. However, I knew I’d face a choice: If I was selected as a Rhoden Fellow, I’d have to decide whether to decline the second summer of the CDW fellowship and forgo the full-time job offer and the scholarship that covered all of my school expenses.

I soon received an email from Disney senior recruiter Suzanna Camacho. Coincidentally, she was the person who had informed me I wasn’t selected for the fellowship the year before, but this time I got a different response. I remember reading the email, and the first thing I saw said, “Share good news.” I had been offered my dream internship.

Deciding whether to accept was challenging. If I kept the fellowship with CDW, I’d make way more money, spend another summer with some of the most incredible people I had ever met and also live in a city I had grown to adore. Should I chase the money or should I chase my dreams?

You might think the answer would be evident in this economy, but it wasn’t. To be fair, I didn’t dislike the job I was doing at CDW — it was pretty pleasurable. But the passion, rush and pure joy I get from telling stories wasn’t comparable.

I called my beautiful older sister, Taylor, whom I always go to for advice. After I explained the situation, she gave me a quote that has resonated with me ever since: “Having passion is priceless. You can’t put a dollar sign on that.”

That was all I needed to hear. The next day, I told my managers at CDW I wouldn’t return for the second summer. I was much sadder than I thought I would be. I felt terrible considering it was the first year the company had a fellowship designated for students from historically Black universities, but ultimately I had to chase my dreams.

The summer arrived, and I was in Washington, working in sports. As a longtime Washington Commanders’ fan, attending their training camp unlocked a sense of joy in my spirit. Getting to be in the same studio where Scott Van Pelt hosts the midnight edition of SportsCenter on ESPN felt surreal, as did traveling to Bristol, Connecticut, home of company headquarters.

I vividly remember writing my first story for Andscape. I was scrolling on TikTok one day and came across a video of a girl talking about how she was starting a plus-sized dance team on North Carolina A&T’s campus.

The reason I got into journalism is quite simple — I love telling stories about underrepresented communities. However, I was super-anxious to write about the new team. My university already has a majorette dance team, Golden Delight, and I didn’t want its members to feel like my intention was to be shady toward them. But I learned a good lesson writing the story: Articles are open to interpretation, just as anything else is. More importantly, I learned journalists can’t be afraid to tell stories. If we don’t tell them, who will?

The most unexpected benefit from the Rhoden Fellowship was the bond I formed with my colleagues, Takier George and Lawrence Goss. I didn’t know if I would leave the fellowship with any new friends, but I’m elated to say I’m leaving with family.

There will be moments in life when you’re faced with difficult decisions, but always remember dreams are worth chasing – and they’ll never run away.