The journey began a little less than 33 months ago. Then, January of 2014 to be exact, a frightened high school kid who had practically failed at everything he tried took a chance on a journalism class in the last semester of his public school career.
But even that “chance” bottled no real ambition.
Lacking any sort of motivation due to a self-esteem that was traumatized, the intent was to show up, do the work, and escape with something higher than a C to raise the GPA before graduating. Besides, plans were already made to attend this college and apathetically pursue an engineering career, because that’s where all the money is, right?
I guess you could say I fell in love with an industry everyone seems to hate and belittle and degrade as the “worst job in America.” According to CareerCast.com, my newly sought dream as a sports journalist ranked dead last out of 200 jobs.
To me, I think it’s the best job in the world.
I’ve learned in my short time as a journalist, spanning 33 months, it’s about having a vision no one else can see, but you, which leads me up to now.
Every Sunday until I transfer to my dream school in May, the University of Maryland, this column called “K-Fadd’s Cauldron” will be my venting destination for the week’s hottest sports topics, centered around Cougar athletics of course, while sprinkling in news from around campus and brief game recaps from FCC sporting events.
Unbeknownst to me, a journalism class that was given the slightest of chance has churned out so many gratifying opportunities, and this weekly column is set to be one of them.
For those who were wondering, the nickname “K-Fadd” was given to me during my freshman year of high school. It’s stuck ever since.
I’m a graduate of the Class of 2014 from Linganore High, which is just down the road of FCC.
I currently reside in New Market with my mom, dad, two little brothers (Austin and Ryan), and my pet parakeet, Frosty.
I have the great privilege to work for my hometown newspaper, The Frederick News-Post, as stringer. I also consider myself extremely blessed to be the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Maryland Sports Access, a multimedia sports outlet that launched last summer. You can follow MSA on Twitter at @MDSportsAccess.
You may find me rambling about local high school sports as well as my beloved Baltimore Orioles, Washington Capitals, Redskins, and Wizards in this column.
I also consider myself lucky to have captured enthralling sports moments such as the 116th Army-Navy football game last December and Jake Funk’s 57 touchdown season at Damascus High, which now stands as a Maryland high school football record.
Though the journalism industry may appear dire, waking up every day with a purpose and a dream to catch is all one could ever need.
Being around sports all the time is great, but unfolding stories from athletes and soaking in wisdom from coaches is what I’ve truly grown to cherish.
To wrap up, I’m excited for this opportunity to engage in the FCC community and magnify the power of sports.
Feel free to send any comments, questions, or suggestions for “K-Fadd’s Cauldron” to [email protected]. You can also find me on Twitter @k_fadd.
