Alumni Profiles
Account Executive, Octagon Racing — Nextel Cup Series
When I was 3, Richard Petty was my hero. Now he's my friend.
I practically grew up at the racetrack. My uncle had a race car, so we spent every Saturday night at the track for years. Then at Guilford, I began to envision what I wanted to do with my life, took a chance, and here I am. It's pretty amazing How did I get my first job? I got lucky. Petty Enterprises wasn't looking for an intern, but I handed them my resumé anyway. After 10 months interning, they hired me full-time and I learned everything about the sport — from the pit crew to hospitality to marketing.
It all comes into play now that I work for Octagon, the world's second largest sports marketing company. We represent the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. One of my favorite tasks is preparing victory lane — supplying banners and champagne for winners, meeting the teams and joining the celebration.
In terms of my career, the best thing I learned at Guilford was how to multi-task. Playing football and taking 18 credit hours, I had to work hard to fit everything in. Same thing with motor sports. On the pit crew, I learned that every single second counts in a race. Now, there are so many challenges thrown at me — hot pass requests, VIP walkthroughs, press credentials — and I have to prioritize and handle them all.
When I'm stressed, I often think back to my football coach at Guilford, Coach Ketchum. He always said that if you persist — if you continue to follow your dream — you'll achieve your goals. So every three or four years, I set new goals and work to achieve them.
In my industry, once you're in, you're in. And by the time I'm 30, I'd like to be running my own NASCAR team. Since it's not just gas that makes cars go around the track — it's the pit crew, the driver, the marketing staff — I plan to be an expert on all of it.
Your faculty adviser helps you select courses until you declare a major. Then you will find, like David did with Professor Betty Kane, that your major adviser partners with you to help you accomplish your undergraduate goals.
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