Howard-Bound And Ready

Belonging can change everything, and Corynn Keck has been chasing that feeling since she was eight years old, when she was new to Charlotte and was swept into a sense of community by the Carolina Panthers' Super Bowl excitement.

Now, she's headed to Howard University to pursue a career in sports management. She's not just dreaming about game day—she wants to be part of the team behind the scenes, helping make the thousands of decisions that create unforgettable fan experiences and determine who gets to feel included.

In this conversation, we explore the moments that shaped her journey: years of volunteering at a youth basketball camp, intentionally reaching out to the child who felt left out, and realizing that inclusion doesn't happen by accident—it is designed with purpose.

From there, Corynn connects sports business to real-world challenges, including ticket prices that can exclude families and environments that don't always feel welcoming to women and diverse communities. If you care about equity in sports, diversity in athletics, or what it takes to build a successful career in a traditionally male-dominated industry, her perspective is both insightful and inspiring.

Corynn also shares why choosing an HBCU is a key part of her professional strategy. She discusses what stood out during her campus visits, why strong alumni networks matter, and how being surrounded by people who understand your experiences can become a powerful launchpad for success.

We also have an honest conversation about the changing realities of college funding, how merit scholarships often don't cover the full cost of attendance, and the resilience it takes to pursue outside scholarships while staying focused on your goals.

If this conversation resonates with you, be sure to subscribe, share this episode with an HBCU-bound student, and leave a review so more people can discover these stories of purpose, community, perseverance, and forward motion.

Transcript

Welcome And Opening Energy<br>

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Yeah, yeah. Step up big dreams on the screen again. From the black to the bed to the big stage play with the top wind, top man, talk just again.

SPEAKER_09 0:11

Welcome to the better chest.

South Texas HBCU Send-Off Invite<br>

Monique Robinson 2:04

Myself, uh Monique Robinson. Or, you know, some people call me Dr. Robinson, and I don't know what's going on with the screen here today. But I am so glad that we are on another day of hearing from our fabulous contestants that are across the country everywhere. They're from everywhere. But before I get into that, let me show you this weekend on Saturday. We have our South Texas HBCU summer send-off. That will be a Davis Scott family YMCA. You guys, we have a treat for you. We have one of our past students, we have some old students, we have alumni coming. We also have a couple food trucks, but most importantly, we have the Austin Area Urban League and San Antonio Satellite Office people who actually are our partners this year. So I am so glad that they will be here to celebrate our send-off this year. And they actually partner with us. So I had to make sure I made that known. So I can't, I got a chance to hang with them over the weekend. I know I said this the last time, but see them in action and see how empowering they can be. That's definitely going to be a pillar here in San Antonio, Texas. So if you haven't had a chance to visit our pages, visit us on Zefie, visit us on Givify, you can use that QR code as there. And you can scan it and you can donate, and it would help us continue our programming as we are empowering our young people who are headed to our nation's historically black colleges and universities. Now, before I bring on our guests, I definitely need to take a commercial because it's another wonderful SAJ here at Eventually Television. So right after this, I'll bring on our guests.

Common Black College Application Spotlight<br>

SPEAKER_08 4:34

Are you interested in attending an historically black college or university? Hello. My name is Robert Jesus. I'm president and founder of the Common Black College Application. Our application allows students to apply to over 50 historically black colleges and universities at the same time for only $20. HBCU graduates have been some of the most renowned individuals in their respective fields since the late 1800s. In addition to that, our faculty and staff are truly committed to your success and they have a vested interest in seeing that you do work. That, coupled with the academic rigor and the fact that you have established lifelong relationships, are just some of the many benefits of your attended and historically black college. So if you're interested in completing the Common Black College app, visit our website at CommonBlack CollegeApp.com to apply that. Thank you and get educated.

HBCU Trivia Game Promo<br>

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Celebrate the excellence of HBCU with the HBCU Trivia Game. This board game provides an exciting and educational way to learn about notable alumni, historical events, sports news, and more. This trivia game is sure to be a hit and perfect for college-bound youth, alumni, and the entire family. Don't miss out on this opportunity to support, educate, and entertain get the HBCU Trivia Game today. Go to HBCU Trivia Game.net to order.

Meet Corinne And Why Howard<br>

Monique Robinson 6:03

Welcome back. Welcome back. I am here. And I told you I was gonna have another guest. Now, I think today, I'm not sure, I might be wrong, but she is from the East Coast. Welcome to the show. Tell us who you are, where you're from, and where you plan to go in the fall.

SPEAKER_06 6:19

Hi, my name is Corinne Keck. I am from Charlotte, North Carolina, and I will be attending Howard University this fall.

Monique Robinson 6:26

So you you are ready to say HU not really. So cool, so cool. Now that's now how did you decide on an HBCU?

SPEAKER_06 6:37

Well, I mean, I kind of for a while known that I wanted to go to an HBCU, but I think I got a chance to visit Howard, and one of the girls said to me, Why spend, you know, spend four years in a place where you're the minority where you can instead of spending it in a place where you can finally be the majority for a while. And I didn't really like take to that at first. I was like, like kind of like okay. And I think just getting to see the culture around it and seeing the legacy that it leaves, and also seeing how the alumni are so in it and so helping to fund these students. I thought it just was the perfect place to go.

Monique Robinson 7:22

Awesome, awesome. So um now are you the you're the first in your family to go? Now are you the only HBCU bound person in your family?

SPEAKER_06 7:35

Um, my dad, my both my parents went to NC State, but my dad went to central for grad school.

Monique Robinson 7:41

Oh, cool. Well that hey, so you came from AD. That's why you said there was no other choice. He was going to an HBCU regardless. I absolutely love that for you. So uh you have your essay prepared. Are you ready? I am ready. All right, the floor is definitely yours. Good luck. You got this.

SPEAKER_06 8:00

Thank you.

Essay On Belonging Through Sports<br>

SPEAKER_06 8:04

So hi everyone, I am Corinne, and I will be talking about how I will rise as an HBCU scholar and push forward even when the finish line shifts. Black and blue were everywhere. At eight years old, I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina during the Carolina Panthers Super Bowl run. We didn't know anyone in the city, and I was nervous to make new friends. But on my first day at a new school, every hallway was filled with Panthers jerseys and team spirit. And somehow a football team I had never followed before already made me feel like I belonged. I didn't know it then, but this was my first example of building a community based on common interests and passions. That experience planted something in me has grown ever since. A deep belief that sports have the power to create belonging for people who feel like outsiders. It's why I've spent four years volunteering at a week-long basketball camp for over a hundred kids, grades K through H. Last year at camp, one camper stood out to me. A girl who looked lost, visibly down during drills, as she watched more experienced players move confidently across the court. I made it my mission to clap for every good pass, celebrate every attempt, and make sure she left believing that she had something to offer. And she did. Watching her confidence grow reminded me that behind every great sporting event, there are people making intentional choices about who gets to feel included. I want to be one of those people. That's what drew me to sports management. Every year I watched the Super Bowl and I found myself less focused on the game, but more of the production, including logistics, the coordination, and the halftime show. I mean, watching Rihanna suspended in the air or Kendrick Lamar move seamlessly across the field, knowing that thousands of decisions made by thousands of people led to that one moment that fills me with a sense of purpose. I want to be on a team that makes these things happen. But more than the event itself, I'm equally motivated by what's missing in these spaces. Ticket prices that exclude families who love the game, and venues that don't always feel welcoming to women in diverse communities. As a future sports management professional, I'm committed to closing those gaps. Choosing an HBCU is a part of that commitment. When I visited Howard University, a tour guide said something to me that has never left me. Many of us have spent years being the minority, so why not spend four years in a place where you are the majority? This will be my strategy for success. I am entering a field where black women are rare, and where I walk into those rooms that are not designed with me and mine. Attending an HBCU means I will build my professional network alongside peers who understand that reality, and we will help each other push those doors open. When I visited Hampton University and visited the Career Fair, I saw that vision made real. Recruiters who look like me, an alumni who came back to invest in the next generation, and a community that's actively building each other up. That's the foundation that I want to launch from. But as a rising scholar also means being honest about the moments when the finish line shifts. College decisions are complicated. Funding education is complicated. And entering a male-dominated field as a black woman is complicated. There have been moments in this process where the path I planned didn't unfold in the way that I expected. And I have only received one merit award so far, and that doesn't come close to covering the tuition. So I shifted plans, and now I am pursuing outside scholarship. And what I've learned is resilience always isn't about pretending that the obstacles aren't there. It's about refusing for them to get in the way. And ultimately, I will rise as an HBCU scholar by showing up fully in my classes, in my community, and in the career that I am building. I will use every internship, every network opportunity, and every classroom to sharpen my ability to design equitable, inclusive spaces in sports. I will give back to my HBCU community the same way the alumni I've watched give back to theirs. And I will carry forward the lesson I've learned at eight years old in a new city, surrounded by strangers in Panthers jerseys, and that building up community has to be intentional. And the community I will build on my HBCU will help me push through the windy, curvy road of success. Thank you.

Monique Robinson 12:49

Awesome, awesome. So I I truly enjoyed your essay. Now your major, you said, is sports management.

SPEAKER_06 12:57

Yes.

Monique Robinson 12:58

Wow, that's really neat. So what sport do you play?

SPEAKER_06 13:01

Well, I played basketball all throughout high school. And then, but when I do sports management, I want to manage like a football team. I think that'd be so cool. And I think that came from my love of the Carolina Panthers.

Monique Robinson 13:14

Oh wow. Well, you know, I'm a Stellars fan, so I don't know how you feel about that. But that's so neat. Now I have a couple more questions, but we gotta take a commercial break. But I really, really enjoyed your essay. So after our break, I got two more questions for you.

Sports Management Goals And Access Gaps<br>

SPEAKER_00 14:38

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Monique Robinson 15:37

So I am here with Miss Corinne. I hope I'm saying your name right because I will butcher a name. Not on purpose, but it just happens. So I apologize if I said it wrong. But I really enjoyed your essay, especially um listening to that you want to go into a male-dominated field. Now, um, you said it's because the care for panthers, but is it because you want to leave your mark on campus? Is that what it is?

SPEAKER_06 16:04

I I definitely want to leave my mark on campus.

Monique Robinson 16:07

How do you plan on doing that? How do you plan on leaving your mark? Because Howard is known now. So how do you leave your mark there?

SPEAKER_06 16:14

Howard is very known. I mean, I think for me, I'm someone who always kind of pushes myself to thrive in every field that I do. But I think one thing that I like about Howard and HBCUs, especially, is how much of the community that they have. And I remember the first day when I walked on campus for um like a tour, one of those girls came up to me and I was like, I said I wanted to do sports management. And she immediately brought me and introduced me to the football coach. So I think it's like just knowing, just being able to do things like that and being able to kind of push back to pull forward and give all these people the opportunities that I want to create for myself. I think that's kind of gonna be the best way to leave my mark.

Monique Robinson 17:01

Okay. I I like it. I like it. I like it. That sounds like you are headed to because I was gonna ask you if you, you know, network with the athletic department, you can get your internship hours while you're there. So that's kind of cool. So I love it. Now, my other question for you is why should people vote for you? Because you know you gotta get votes to stay alive. And starting in July, we start the cuts, and I hate cutting because I get so attached to all of you all because you all are wonderful. But that's why they don't let me judge, because they know it was up to me everybody and get get it passed. So why should why should people vote for you?

SPEAKER_06 17:38

I mean, I think people should vote for me because I'm someone that kind of throughout my high school career, I've had amazing grades, I've had just great extracurriculars while playing basketball and being in Jack and Jill and doing Girl Scouts, but also still being able to serve my community. And I think one of the biggest things is like I always do

HBCU Network And Career Foundation<br>

SPEAKER_06 18:00

things that are really personal to me, and I think that helps me stand out from others. One thing was I served with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society because my grandfather had cancer, and I kind of helped raise money for that. And I think I'm always been someone that has kind of wanted to bring the community with me no matter what I do. So I think that helps me stand out from other people.

Monique Robinson 18:24

Awesome. I love it. So you're standing out because you're gonna make your mark when you get to Howard as a uh you know sports management now. And are you gonna play basketball or not?

SPEAKER_06 18:39

No, I'll probably do like inner mural or something. I can't see myself doing that.

Monique Robinson 18:44

That might be a possible scholarship too. I'm just saying. You know, hey, we're not turning any money down. But um, it has been truly an honor uh to hear your essay and hear your goals and learn about how you plan to go uh leave your mark and attend the Howard University in the fall. So when when's moving day? I know you count down. You probably got a calendar, you're checking it off.

SPEAKER_06 19:08

I haven't gotten my specific one, but I know it's between August 5th and August 9th.

Monique Robinson 19:13

Okay, okay. Now we have had some um scholars from Howard in the competition, especially last year. And we actually have some uh scholars that are in our send-off here that we do every year in San Antonio, uh, that are attending as well. So, you know, you might link up with them. I'm just saying, you gotta have a buddy. Uh, tell everybody every year we have a group chat. Find your find your tribe. That way you go to campus with some friends instead of trying to navigate it by yourself. So uh thank you for coming on, sharing your essay. Did you want to say one last thing so people vote for you, or just gonna say, hey, vote for me, find my name on the ballot.

SPEAKER_06 19:53

Um people, everybody make sure you guys vote for me. That would help me a lot. So thank you.

Monique Robinson 19:59

Awesome, awesome. So, guys, you heard it here. Um, we've enjoyed our Howard bound scholar for today. And also, please, if you are in the San Antonio area, remember our send off is Saturday at David Scott Family YMCA. I will pull it up on the screen, but this light is like in my eye, so it's not gonna come up. But we expect to see you there from 10 to 2. You don't have to stay the whole day, but definitely stop by, read our scholars, and then if you see it, you know, see the replay. Corinne said, vote for her. Yeah, I love her. She's challenging you. She said, vote for her because she's going to your school and she's gonna leave her mark once you get there. So thank you again. It's been fun till next time.

SPEAKER_04 20:50

For inspiration, motivation, and the good news of Jesus Christ. Look no further. The Daily Gospel Network has what you need. With more than 300 ministries from all over the country broadcasting every week, you're sure to get your dose of spirit-filled encouragement from the great programs on the Daily Gospel Network. Catch the Daily Gospel Network on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, all mobile devices, and the internet.

Monique Robinson 21:16

Tune in to a Better Chance for Youth Television show with host Moni

When Funding Shifts The Finish Line<br>

Monique Robinson 21:20

Robinson on the Daily Gospel Network. A television show dedicated to highlighting incredible students on the that change the world. Join us every week as we uplift the youth and help them on their journey to the right future they deserve. At the Better Chance for Youth Television Show with host Monique Robinson on the Daily Gospel Network. Thanks for watching a Better Chance for Youth Television show with your host Monique Robinson. The television show where we highlight incredible students in their quest to change the world. Join us each and every week as we uplift our youth and help them on their journey to the bright future they deserve. So until next time, God bless. From your friends on a Better Chance for Youth Television show with your host, Monique Robinson!