NCAA Gig Gives Him A Leg Up

Most college athletes try to stay out of the way of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the governing board for athletics at most American colleges.

Cullen Dore, a cross country runner at Francis Marion University, decided it was better to run right at it.

He currently serves as the president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at FMU. And last year he was selected as the representative from Conference Carolinas to serve on the National SAAC committee where he is one of twenty-six representatives in the NCAA. He also serves as the president of the Conference Carolinas SAAC and as the External Communications Coordinator of the National SAAC. This experience, coupled with an internship in the Athletics Department and position as photographer for The Patriot newspaper, have solidified the future career plans for the mass communications major.

“As I get more involved in the NCAA nationally and see the inner workings of it, I know I definitely want to pursue sports communications as a potential career path,” says Dore. “As a student-athlete, being able to have a career that combines my love of sports and mass communications is really exciting. I’m just happy about the amount of exposure I’ve had to both here at Francis Marion.”

Dore says one of the things he has learned that resonates with him both as a runner and a student is that you have to get comfortable doing things that are uncomfortable for the sake of growth.

“As an athlete, I know that to get faster and stronger, it requires some level of hurt. As a student, I’m learning that I have to get out of my comfort zone to grow and be the best that I can be,” said Dore. “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by so many incredible people on campus who have pushed me, encouraged me to network, and given me opportunities I didn’t know I’d have.”

One person he credits with helping him is Julie Mixon, associate professor of art in the Fine Arts Department. Mixon, he says, has been instrumental in helping him become a better photographer through her teaching. She’s also helped guide and encourage him in the field.

Dore is from Myrtle Beach, S.C. He committed to Francis Marion before the start of his senior year at Carolina Forest High School.