SJGC students enhancing FAMU athletics

Florida A&M Athletics Logo
Photo Courtesy: FAMU Athletics

Whether you see them on the field, in front of the camera, or behind the scenes, students at the School of Journalism and Graphic Communications are heavily involved with the communications and social media platforms for FAMU Athletics. 

Florida A & M University is home to over a dozen athletic programs, each with its own social media outlets. Although these accounts are monitored by FAMU Athletics staff, most of the content is produced by students.

Joshua Padilla, the Director of Communications & Digital Strategy with FAMU athletics, expressed his gratitude for the students and their work. 

“They help us out a lot,” said Padilla. “The J-School students have produced the highest quality of work I have seen throughout the three different schools I have worked for.” 

Kyrease Dessau capturing moments during one of FAMU’s home games Photo Courtesy: Kyrease Dessau

Kyrease Dessau is a junior graphic design student at FAMU. Dessau can be seen amongst other student photographers on the sidelines and behind the scenes of most of the sports teams on campus.  

“I shoot for all of the sports programs on campus with the help of other photographers on the Athletics Media team,” said Dessau. “I help determine what gets posted on the social media accounts, and I send action photos and headshots to the athletes themselves.”

Dessau built his following by showcasing his photography and editing skills on social media. His Instagram handle, @kmdstudios, has gained almost two thousand followers, allowing others to view his work.

As he looked back on what started his passion for sports photography, Dessau explained that it all derived from his wanting to provide his friends with the opportunity for a better athletic future.

“All my friends played sports, and I thought they were good enough to be playing professionally, but none of them had the publicity and exposure. Knowing this, I decided to take matters into my own hands, so I picked up a camera,” said Dessau.

As he continues to work for FAMU Athletics as a photographer, Dessau looks forward to growing within the field and expects to pursue a career in sports photography.

“FAMU Athletics has helped me prepare for my future by allowing me to gain perspective and experience in the production, creative direction, and the behind-the-scenes of sports photography and how that would relatively be for a major league team, Dessau said.

Germanie Bozeman posing in front of the Rattler Snake after the football pre-season photoshoot.
Photo Courtesy: Germanie Bozeman

Germanie Bozeman is a junior public relations scholar at FAMU. Bozeman combines her passion for sports and content creation to enhance the social media accounts for various sports programs on campus.

“I am a sportswriter and social media content creator for FAMU athletics. For the social media accounts, I interact with the teams by playing short film games and announcing important upcoming events,” said Bozeman.

Bozeman also tests her journalistic skills by writing stories for the FAMU Athletics official website. 

“I write different stories on athletes who have accomplished or overcame something very specific. I also write game day previews, recaps, and update game notes when needed,” explained Bozeman.

Not only has her work been noticed by students at FAMU, but it has also come to the attention of a few significant figures within the sports world, including Lebron James and Stephen A. Smith.

As she continues her collegiate career, Bozeman plans to produce entertaining and informative content to showcase athletes all over campus. Her incredible on-screen personality boosts engagement between the students and the athletes.

“I hope to be in a career that continues to allow me to be myself. I am grateful to FAMU for always supporting my work,” said Bozeman. “Being able to bring my ideas to life while shining a positive light on the athletics departments is something I am extremely grateful for. The teams and staff members keep me going, and I appreciate them for allowing me to share my work with them.”

Ahmad Kebe walking the sidelines of the Florida Blue Florida Classic in Orlando, FL
Photo Courtesy: Ahmad Kebe

Ahmad Kebe, a senior broadcast journalism scholar, continues chasing his dream career as he works with FAMU Athletics to cover games and other athletic events. 

Throughout his collegiate career, Kebe has emerged in many aspects of sports journalism at FAMU. Amongst other positions, he currently serves as a sports anchor for FAMU TV-20 and dedicates himself as one of the hosts of the WANM 90.5 The Playmakers, a sports talk show.

“My passion for sports started when I was in high school. I played four sports in high school, and I just knew whatever I did in life, sports would be a part of it,” explained Kebe. “My favorite part about working with FAMU athletics is that I always have an opportunity to get better. Every time I report or anchor the newscast, I learn how to improve and be the best version of myself.”

Using resources and skills developed by SJGC, each student continues to think of creative and effective ways to enhance the sports programs’ social media accounts and further the relationship between the students and athletes. 

As explained by Padilla, Faculty, and Staff at FAMU Athletics continue to seek out students interested in sports journalism and communications. 

“I feel proud when I see organizations and offices around the university seek out SJGC students for their communications skills and creativity,” said Mira Lowe, Dean of the School of Journalism & Graphic Communications. “As the School of storytellers, we are empowering students to tell stories with authority, authenticity, empathy, and excellence. Their great work gets them noticed.”

Celebrating forty years of education and excellence last fall, SJGC faculty and staff continue to work hand-in-hand with students to help develop their journalistic and graphic design skills to prepare them for future careers in the sports field.