If you’re someone with a concrete idea or a well-thought-out plan, everyone at ¼ϲʿ is willing to help you see your dreams come true.
Back in 2004, unless you traveled to ¼ϲʿ in person, you were unable to watch your favorite Bears take to the court or field.
That all changed when Shawn Medeiros, ’08, arrived on campus as a freshman.
The Fall River native came to ¼ϲʿ with dreams of becoming a sports broadcaster. When he realized the school didn’t broadcast any of its sporting events live, he took action.
Together with another student, he teamed up with Bridgewater Community Television (channel 9 locally), to bring athletics to the small screen for members of the ¼ϲʿ community, and beyond, to enjoy.
Through his efforts he gained valuable knowledge, from using the camera, to editing, and broadcasting live on air.
“It was a great experimental learning experience for us,” Medeiros said.
Without realizing it, his endeavors at ¼ϲʿ allowed him to craft an impressive resume which eventually led to internships, jobs, and a steady career working in the sports information world.
Today, the alumnus serves as sports information director for Endicott College, a position he’s held since 2015.
He is the first to tell you that ¼ϲʿ has played a role in his successful career.
As an undergraduate, Medeiros also joined the editorial team working for the school newspaper, The Comment. The experience he gained led to a stint at The Boston Globe his junior year.
His first official assignment as a Globe writer was to cover a high school playoff hockey game.
“I thought I did well, but low and behold I mentioned the wrong kid 11 times…the sports editor had to write a retraction,” Medeiros said.
The error almost cost him the job, but because his boss liked the fact he went to ¼ϲʿ, and in fact was the paper’s only new hire who went to a state school versus a private better known for its journalism program, decided to keep him on.
“That second chance was really nice, he believed in me because I was a kid from a different background,” he said.
Medeiros learned from the experience and eventually was given the cross-country/track and field beat.
After graduating from ¼ϲʿ with a bachelor’s in communication studies, Medeiros found steady work. His early jobs included director of media relations and broadcasting for a collegiate summer baseball team, to multiple sports information positions at various colleges throughout New England.
For current ¼ϲʿ students aspiring to follow in his footsteps, his advice is to get involved and take advantage of all the opportunities Bridgewater has to offer.
“I gained a lot of experience at Bridgewater in terms of broadcasting, but ¼ϲʿ is also a welcoming community. All of the classes I had really piqued my intellectual curiosity,” Medeiros said, adding, “If you’re someone with a concrete idea or a well-thought-out plan, everyone at ¼ϲʿ is willing to help you see your dreams come true.”
Do you have a ¼ϲʿ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu