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����Michael Kerner (Jour’12) and Cassidy Davis (StratComm’23)��

Michael Kerner

For Cassidy Davis, breaking into the sports media world comes down to three words: “Go for no.”

Saying yes to every opportunity is how she’s found herself, just a few years out of college, working in the bright lights of the Super Bowl.

That attitude is how both Davis (StratComm’23) and Michael Kerner (Jour’12) are finding themselves at the big game. They have very different roles, but are both vital to one of the most anticipated media days of the year. Kerner is a manager for on-air graphics with NBC Sports, while Davis is a corporate partnerships coordinator for the Seahawks. They both credited extracurricular clubs at CMDI for playing vital roles in their college journeys.��

Responses edited for length and clarity.

����What responsibilities will you have for the Super Bowl?
Davis: Leading up to the big game, we've worked in partnership with brands to create memories for our fans and celebrate this season—including big events such as a drone show over the Space Needle, presented by Snoqualmie Casino & Hotel.

Kerner: I help manage and produce the graphics you see onscreen, from the early design stages through final delivery, when we send the graphics to the various trucks, studios and vendors that will air them. Our team started on this work almost a year ago.

����Something you’re most looking forward to?
Davis: I am most looking forward to seeing the incredible hard work our team has put in throughout the season come to an incredible conclusion. Every moment has led to this one game, and I am so excited to experience the Super Bowl alongside my teammates.��

Cassidy Davis

����Thinking back—and Michael, this will be more of a stretch for you—can you share a CMDI class or professor that best prepared you for working on such a big stage?
Davis: Dawn Doty. She was so dedicated to forming personal relationships with each of her students. Dawn was instrumental in getting me to where I am today, both as a student and a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America,

Kerner: For me, it was С���� Sports Mag—now Sko Buffs Sports. I knew I wanted to work in sports TV in college, and that club gave me invaluable experience. I got to try every position you’d find in a broadcast studio—running cameras, directing, editing, technical directing—and was on the field during С���� football games, filming the action and Ralphie’s runs.��

����It’s great to hear you both talk about the value extracurricular clubs played in your careers. What about some advice for students dreaming of covering events like this?
Kerner: Be a sponge. Absorb everything and learn as many roles and skills as you can.

Davis: Lean on your passions to set yourself apart from other applicants. You can market yourself in so many different ways based on the experiences you've had throughout your life.

Hannah Howell is a sophomore majoring in media production, with a concentration in documentary film, and a sports media minor.