Game Changer Catchup: Reggie Jennings
Hometown: Chicago, IL
University: Southeast Missouri State University
Term: 2018 Game Changing Retreat Cohort
Current Position: Coordinator of Student Development Services at TCU (Texas Christian University)
Reggie Jennings is the current Coordinator of Student Development Services at Texas Christian University and first joined the Winning Edge family after attending the 2018 summer retreat in Miami, FL. He will also start his PMBA (Professional Masters of Business Administration) this fall at TCU.
Jennings received his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Spanish at Southeast Missouri State University, where he also earned his Master’s in Higher Education. While completing his degrees at SMSU, Reggie was a member of the football team. Since his time at SMSU, Reggie went on to play professional for a few arena football teams before landing his current position at TCU.
The path to TCU was not an easy one for Jennings, who recalled that the retreat came at a time of difficulty for him.
“I don’t cry often but I almost shed a tear to have to speak during the experience, because I was going through a lot at that time.”
Reggie was about to finish his master’s program at SMSU and was still in the process of finding the next position in his career. During his time with the Winning Edge, he was able to form a network that eventually led him to where he is now at TCU.
“I met some people which led me to an internship in athletics at TCU which I was in until this past December, and long story short, I’m now a full-time employee in student development services which is under student affairs. The experience was definitely a catapult into my professional career,” Reggie recalled.
His time with the Winning Edge has lasted beyond the summer of 2018, as he now has a coworker in fellow cohort member Cam Fenton and is working alongside Corinne Milien in getting industry figures to attend our Dinners of Influence.
“Learning from Will Baggett was one of my biggest takeaways, he’s become sort of a big brother and mentor for me,” Fenton recalled. Baggett is an Event Coordinator with the College Football Playoff and was a mentor of last year’s retreat.
Being able to be in the room with many high-level executives from major institutions was huge for Reggie, as he aspires to one day be an Athletic Director at a historically black college/university (HBCU) or at a power 5 school.
As Reggie’s experience with the Winning Edge was extremely beneficial in learning the ins and outs of the professional world, his biggest advice for future Game Changers is to “be open minded and don't be afraid to put yourself out there.”
Feature by Camille Buxeda
Camille is a recent graduate of NYU’s School of Professional Studies, where she earned her Masters in Sports Business. Currently, she is the women’s basketball associate social editor at SLAM Media Inc and firmly believes in supporting the WE Leadership Academy’s vision of empowering the next generation of sports leaders.
