Interview with Adriana Conte ’18
“Work hard and stay focused on your goal—you will succeed.” That’s the recipe to success that Adriana Conte ’18 followed, and so far it’s been working, but it hasn’t been easy. In fact, the author of The NFL at 100: How America’s Most Popular Sport is Just Getting Started is herself just getting started.
Adriana explained that she’s always been a huge sports fan, “Go Steelers!” and an avid writer her whole life. She was an athlete for close to a decade in soccer, volleyball, cross country, and tennis before tearing her ACL. During that long recovery, writing became her outlet, and that passion for athletics her muse.
When Dr. Eric Koester, Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Georgetown University McDonough School of Business reached out about the Creator Institute Program that he founded which helps young writers publish books, she knew she had to jump at the opportunity.
Her first book, “The NFL at 100,” was written and published in just under a year with the help of the program, and persistence was the key. “I sent a lot of emails,” she laughed. “I was persistent in getting the content I needed for my book.”
With the onslaught of COVID-19, the summer internships she had lined up were cancelled, but she didn’t give up. Her hustle to cover players on and off the field bolstered her portfolio and inspired her to seek new opportunities with FOX Sports and a start-up sports marketing agency during the pandemic summer. Plus, the contacts within the world of football and sports writing led her to her current role with the NFL as an intern.
“Be persistent, and don’t hesitate to explore new opportunities,” said Adriana. America’s most popular sport might be just getting started, but so is this writer and creator.
Have a football fan in your family? A great Father’s Day or Birthday gift and your supporting an alumna!