Curry College Alumni from ESPN Share Words of Wisdom with Curry Students

A creative and ambitious group of Curry College graduates have achieved major success in their careers with the international award-winning Entertainment Sports Network (ESPN). Now, these “sports fans” and former communication students are working to inspire the next generation of Curry students, by returning to campus and speaking to them about the importance of preparedness and determination.

In the fall of 2011, Emmy Award-winning communication graduates Matt Chant ‘99 and Chris Lees ’98 received an invitation to return to campus from their former mentor, Professor Alan Frank. They candidly shared anecdotes, advice and networking tips with his bright class of communication students.

“You may think, ‘Right now I have four years to graduate;’ but it’s really about keeping on top of everything: your studies and being active in the community here at Curry,” said Chant, a Graphics System Developer at ESPN.

Chant and former Curry classmate Lees, who both received Emmy awards for their work in the graphics and research divisions at “The Worldwide Leader in Sports,” returned to the place where their journeys began with hopes of inspiring the next generation of media savvy students. Their advice was simple: network, plan ahead and don’t be afraid to showcase unique talents.

“It wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, working in graphics; I wanted to be on air. I wanted to be a star,” said Lees, who raced his way up the ranks at ESPN and now works as a Senior Researcher for the company’s Motorsports division.

Since joining the ESPN team nearly a decade ago, Lees and Chant have landed on the sidelines of Daytona 500 races, Indie 500 races and hundreds of college “game day” competitions. This winter, Chant headed north to Calgary, AB Canada and got a front row pass to the Stanley Cup finals game featuring the Boston Bruins.

“It’s amazing to me that they pay us to watch sports,” said Chant.

Lees said he “got his foot in the door” at ESPN after passing a resume along to Chant, who was already working his way up the ranks at the Bristol, CT company. The two first met while spinning discs and talking sports at Curry’s WMLN radio station in the mid-'90’s. They told the wide-eyed room of communication students that their journey up the ranks at ESPN was due mostly in part to networking.

“I can’t stress enough: it’s all about who you know. First impressions are important,” said Chant, adding that ESPN is always seeking hard-working, college interns to support their network.

Chant and Lees say they are currently “living their childhood dreams” at ESPN, as they never imagined that the athletes and executives they once looked up to would be looking to them for answers. They credit their success to the time and effort they put in at Curry College, and gave a nod to a current student who is making the most of his time in the WMLN studio.

“He always aims for that AP (Associated Press) Award,” said Lees about WMLN Pre-game host Tom Quinlan '13, who produces a weekly sports talk show for the station. Lees and Chant both received the AP honor while they were students.

During their discussion in Frank's class, the professor had one question in particular, addressing the issue of students receiving job offers before graduating.

Frank asked, “Finish college, or jump?”

Chant responded with the following advice to students.

“I am not going to tell you to pass up an opportunity; but when you get the degree, despite the economic times, that is going to open some doors.”

A number of other Curry College graduates are making names for themselves at ESPN, alongside Lees and Chant. Producers Bryan Ryder '92, Mark Summer '90 and ESPN Magazine and Regional Television Director Steve Binder '84 are also supporting the sports network.

Summer, a producer for the network, hosted a group of Curry communication students at the ESPN campus in Connecticut last year to give them a first-hand feel of life in the fast lane of sports broadcasting.

Ryder, remote sports producer, returned to the Milton campus recently and hosted students on location while covering a game for ESPN at nearby Boston College. He shared two important pieces of advice with Curry students pursuing internships.

"You can never work hard enough, and never underestimate the power of networking," said Ryder.

Binder was also spotted on the Curry campus in the fall, as he ventured back from his New York City office to visit classes and share tips from his “Playbook,” a book of guidelines for young professionals who want to make their “first career move their best.” Binder talked about the positive experience he had at Curry, the learning disability he overcame and the lessons he has learned as a head-honcho at ESPN.

“The really important part is: work really hard, take what you do with great passion and commitment and be serious, but don’t take yourself too serious,” said Binder, who spoke at a two hour informational event, giving career advice to Curry students which was also streamed live on Curry’s institutional Facebook page.

Today, Binder manages one of the Top 10 largest men’s magazines and oversees a syndicated television network. He candidly told students that his rise to the top was a result of his good time management and self-motivation, but also gave credit to the support he received at Curry.

“The small classes that Curry offered were very important because they really allowed me to get hands on in terms of learning. The face time with professors here was crucial to me; I enjoyed the interaction,” said Binder.

After sharing advice about entering the working world and encouraging students to seek internships in their field of interest, Binder shared a piece of personal advice that he said is most important when climbing the ladder of success in the workplace.

“Make sure you enjoy it along the way."