On Monday, Oct. 26, two of Fairfield’s residence halls opened their doors to welcome the Senior Vice President of ESPN Traug Keller as the first of many speakers as part of their “Mindful Monday” series.
“We’re looking to do holistic programming to help enhance you mentally, physically and spiritually. We want to make sure we’re enhancing the whole person in the Village area,” said Pejay Lucky, the assistant director of Residence Life.
The event was held in the lounge located in the basement of Kotska Hall and was open only to residents of both Kotska and Claver Hall.
“It was a great turnout, we RSVP’d and we pretty much came in full with the 25 people we RSVP’d for. We set the limit there because we wanted to have an intimate session with Traug Keller,” said Lucky on the event’s turnout.
Once students we’re settled in, Keller began his talk starting with his days in Boston College. He shared with the audience his first job as a newspaper delivery boy at the college and stated how important it was to do a great job, no matter how small the job may have seemed. After developing a strong relationship with his employer, he was given an interview with The New York Times, where he began working at immediately.
Keller stuck with the Times for quite a while and worked diligently, but was very passionate about radio, eventually joining CBS’s team. This would lead him to an opportunity with ABC, where he worked for 10 years. He eventually became the president of ABC Radio Networks. After being asked for assistance at ESPN, Keller jumped at the opportunity and has been a permanent fixture for almost 12 years.
Keller emphasized the importance of working hard wherever you are. “Whatever job you have, do it well because you never know where it can lead you,” said Keller.
He advised students to take advantage of the opportunities presented here at Fairfield, not only taking part of classes but also joining clubs. One of his main points was to make relationships and to not shy away from friends because Fairfield is a tight-knit community. These relationships will never break even after graduation, he said.
Keller opened the floor to questions, where students shared their curiosity on the current field of journalism and how to properly succeed in terms of jobs.
Sophomore Ellie Hartman attended the event and found it to be an enlightening experience. “Listening to Mr. Keller was a unique opportunity that I was fortunate to be able to take part in. He connected with us in a personal setting that made us each feel important. It is clear he is passionate about Jesuit education and made me think differently about what I take for granted here at Fairfield.”
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