Aniekan Okon ’23 is a sports reporter for WPRI, but he got his start right here at the University of Rhode Island, where he developed the skills to turn him into a professional.
“Looking back as a student, I always enjoyed when we had guest speakers,” Okon said. “I think getting something from their experience is very cool.”
Nearly three years after his graduation, Okon was the first speaker this semester for the ‘Pros & The Pie’ series held in Ranger Hall, and shared several experiences working in sports media with students in attendance.
Okon began his career out of college as a sports anchor for CBS19 News in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2023, and worked there for two years.
“I learned how to be an individual [in Charlottesville],” Okon said. “I grew up in Rhode Island. I went to college in Rhode Island, and I only knew Rhode Island. I always had the attachment of my family and friends. It is so easy to get comfortable here, so when I moved to Charlottesville, I didn’t have any of that and had to develop it on my own.”
Okon had several great experiences while in Charlottesville, but a return to Rhode Island was always a priority.
“I want students to take away that regardless of where they are, it’s not too late to figure out that this is what you want to do,” Okon said. “I had people that I was classmates with that didn’t figure it out as quickly. I was able to figure out what I wanted to do quickly, and it helped me get to where I am, so I want students to know they can do it too.”
Okon wrote for The Good Five Cent Cigar and served as a sports staff reporter and later as sports editor.
“I learned a sense of community from the Cigar,” Okon said. “I spent five to six days a week in the Cigar office. Those people have a common goal of wanting to tell the best stories and make the best paper possible, and I carry that same mindset into every broadcast I do now.”
The Pros & The Pie was designed to show students different people working in sports media and how they became successful.
“One of the reasons I was hired is because I have a pretty extensive professional network,” URI Sports Media Program Director Dr. Molly Yanity said. “This school is in a smaller coastal town, so I wanted to bring people in to meet students in the network.”
Okon shared some of his best experiences since returning to work in Rhode Island, including following the New England Patriots on their run to the Super Bowl.
“It’s great to be back,” Okon said. “I think it is cool to see how the sports media program and the Harrington School have evolved since I graduated.”
The Pros & The Pie will continue throughout the semester, with the next guest being Hannah Cotter, who works at 7News in Boston, on March 24.
