Related Content
CoSIDA.com/ThankYourSID
This feature is part of our series of profiles showcasing members throughout the CoSIDA membership during the celebration of CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week for 2021. See more features at CoSIDA.com/ThankYourSID.
Miya Garrett – Mountain West Conference, Assistant Director, Strategic Communications
by Barb Kowal – CoSIDA Director of Professional Development and External Affairs
One of the newest members of the Mountain West Conference staff,
Miya Garrett joined the Division I Conference on July 1. Her responsibilities include assisting with the Conference’s social media strategies and duties and serving as the primary contact for women’s basketball, volleyball, swimming and diving and men’s and women’s tennis. Her prior experience came at the Sun Belt Conference and at her alma mater, Arkansas State. The 2018 graduate was a student intern for the Red Wolves, then was promoted to the assistant director of media relations and was the primary contact for baseball, women’s soccer and women’s bowling.
While serving at Arkansas State, Miya Garrett was the sideline reporter for the ESPN3 broadcast of the Arkansas State-Southern Illinois Sun Belt Conference game on September 21, 2019, won by A-State, 41-28.
It's been a whirlwind year for you - battling all things pandemic, and moving across the country from your Sun Belt position in New Orleans to relocating to Colorado and the Mountain West Conference. What's that been like? What are some lessons learned along the way?
MG: The pandemic was an unfortunate time for most sports professionals across the country. But it was also a time for people to grow and reflect on how important it is to prioritize your mental and physical health. At the start of the pandemic, I was at Arkansas State, my alma mater (proud 2018 graduate!) and the university that gave me my first full-time job. There, my former boss Jerry Scott gave me the opportunity to explore different areas of collegiate athletics, including creative media and sports reporting. I was surrounded by an unbelievable support system who I still lean on today. It’s where I fell in love with working in college athletics.
I spent three years in athletic communications at A-State – first as an intern before becoming Assistant Director of Media Relations, overseeing baseball, women’s soccer, and bowling. I knew I was prepared for my next adventure.
The Sun Belt Conference provided me with a great opportunity to learn different aspects of working in a conference office but what the Mountain West had to offer was something I couldn’t pass up. It was challenging, moving across the country, but it’s taught me to control what you can control. Being away from family and everything that’s familiar has been one of the biggest challenges to this point, but it has made me stronger personally and professionally. I can’t thank my support system enough for being there for me every step of the way.
I’m excited about how far I’ve come in just for months at the Mountain West. I’ve always heard that good things happen outside of your comfort zone but now I’m living it every day - and I’m so thankful for it.
OK, in Twitter length (280 characters), describe yourself and your career path to date.
MG: I am an energetic, creative and curious individual who never stops learning. I started my career at Arkansas State before moving on to the Sun Belt Conference. I am currently at the Mountain West as the Assistant Director of Strategic Communications.
A Miya Garrett snapshot before heading up to the baseball pressbox. At Arkansas State, she was the primary media relations contact for baseball, women’s soccer and women’s bowling.
What do you enjoy the most about your career? Is it an emphasis on social media, storytelling, digital, video, or what?
MG: I enjoy social media, digital storytelling and branding. Having the creative freedom to give sport accounts a personality and a brand is something I’ve also enjoyed. It’s a special feeling to tell a story and to be the voice behind a team or brand account. Everyone has a story and I thrive on being trusted to share those stories.
What's a book and/or a podcast or a blog series, or a social follow that you would recommend today to those in college athletics/athletic communications?
MG: I can recommend three books:
- You Are A Badass: How to Stop Doubting your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, by Jen Sincero
- Teammates Matter: Fighting for Something Than Self, by Alan Williams
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
As a young professional, what advice can you share to other SIDs, young or older, about navigating this career?
MG: Stay curious and never stop being energetic. Don’t be one dimensional – try to learn other areas of the industry. Be a jack of all trades. Never be too good for anything. Always remember good things happen outside of your comfort zone!
Miya Garrett testing out lighting before it was time for the Arkansas State baseball players to get their promo and head shots taken.
How can members of CoSIDA work to make our profession a more welcoming and diverse environment?
MG: Always be willing to help and teach others. Look to student-athletes who might be interested in communications and digital as a career. This industry is already scary enough, with the need to be on-point with all you do all the time. Take the time to tell people they’re doing a good job. Reach out if you see someone in the industry struggling; it goes a long way.
When you are not at work, we would find you doing what?
MG: Even when I’m not working, you can still find me watching some sort of sporting event. I enjoy reading self-help/motivational books. I enjoy photography. I love to shop, travel and laugh.