Where did you grow up and how has your background influenced you today?
"I grew up in Kansas City. My dad is an immigrant, and I get my work ethic and love of soccer from his half of the family. My mom's half [of the family] gifted me the ability to take joy in being creative with artistic pursuits like music and writing. Thanks to a combination of all of those things, I thrive at my current career."
Tell us about your current professional role and why it excites you.
"I currently edit all of the American soccer coverage for The Athletic, which involves everything from creating coverage plans around big events, traveling to World Cups and league championship games, and simple tasks like line-editing copy and talking to writers every day.
It excites me because soccer in the United States is constantly growing and, in doing so, is finding new ways to surprise you. The growth of soccer in this country is fascinating in that it provides so many opportunities to practice "capital-J" journalism. There are a lot of rich and powerful people who are trying to muscle in and get a piece of the ever-expanding pie and I think my role, and that of my reporters, is to act as a check on that philosophy. I was a (not very good) defender as a soccer player, so for whatever reason, I guess I'm cut out for that sort of role!
"Soccer is clearly the best sport in the world and more people in the U.S. should be into it!"
Alexander Abnos
BA '09
I'm also excited by my role for a far more simple and obvious reason: Soccer is clearly the best sport in the world and more people in the U.S. should be into it! I believe that one significant part of getting that to happen is to produce independent, serious coverage of the sport which drives conversation – even (or perhaps especially) if that conversation is not something that a league, club, player, coach or other figure would prefer. That's how it is with every other major league in the United States and I believe domestic soccer deserves the same level of scrutiny and fanaticism."
What accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
"I was an editor for Meg Linehan's 2021 investigative story into North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley, which shut down the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) for a week and caused the league and the U.S. Soccer Federation to rethink its policies around player safety. Meg did all the hard work but I'm proud of how we as editors were able to make the most of that moment."
Was there a standout course, professor, or organization from your time as a student that inspired your career path?
"Changing Media Technology with Dr. Kerric Harvey changed the way I think about technology on an extremely fundamental level. It's one of only two-to-three classes I've ever taken in my academic career that I wish I could repeat. It taught me to really appreciate how fast everything evolves when it comes to tech, and set the expectation that I should be constantly learning how to use new tools as they are developed. My ability to do multimedia work is a big part of what has sustained my career (along with a big dose of luck)."
What is your favorite only-at-GW moment? What is an experience/opportunity you believe GW provided you access to?
"I really enjoyed the fact that I could hop on a bike and within minutes be pedaling around the National Mall. Doing so was a guaranteed way for me to clear my head during some stressful school days and it gave me unending appreciation for those monuments and the grounds around them."
What is a piece of advice you would offer to students seeking to pursue your field of work?
"I donate to the Hatchet and am always willing to speak with young journalists looking for advice, especially if they're interested in covering soccer."
What fun fact about yourself would you like to share?
"In between GW and my first job in sports journalism, I toured and recorded full-time with my band. It was incredibly fun and fulfilling and if there were decent money to be made that way (and if my bandmates felt the same) I'd probably still be doing it."
