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inside.hokiesports.com
15
2017
RAHIEM
COOPER
BASEBALL
Gordonsville, Virginia
by
Jimmy Robertson
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Rahiem Cooper
graduated in May of last year with a degree in public
relations and came back for his final season. He hopes a career in professional baseball
works out, but if not, he’d love to remain in sports by producing documentaries or
writing feature stories about athletes.
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a degree in public relations?
RC:
“I decided to pursue a degree in communications because I like meeting new
people. I think public relations will give me different opportunities because it is
so broad. I was originally a multimedia journalism major, but I didn’t want to get
into broadcasting. I was more interested in writing stories about athletes or doing
documentaries.”
Q: What is it that you like about writing?
RC:
“I like creating my own work, and writing gives me that opportunity. At the end
of the day, whatever I write is mine. It belongs to me.”
Q: What are your plans once the season ends?
RC:
“I would like to get a chance to play at the next level, so I will wait to see what
happens with that first. If that doesn’t work out, I would pursue other jobs related to
the public relations field.”
Q: What is your long-term “dream” job?
RC:
“I would love to be an every-day player in Major League Baseball, but not too
many people make it. If that doesn’t work out, I would love to be a sports agent or
create documentaries about athletes.
“I think writing stories about athletes is another way to get them exposure. People
really only see what an athlete does on the field. They don’t know about their lives.
I think it’s pretty cool to know more about the athlete. The 30 for 30 documentaries
[a series of documentaries produced and aired by ESPN] are where I kind of started
liking that idea.
“I don’t have specific plans. I just know I want to stay in sports. I wouldn’t mind
working for an MLB team in the communications department. That could be another
option that I pursue.”