Central Alum Finds Education Leads to Fox Sports

Lester Mwirichia waits to conduct an interview at Ball Park Village with Fox Sports Midwest and the St. Louis Cardinals. Lester was in the KDPS studios this week talking about how to “set yourself apart” during a high profile internship.

What’s life like after high school?  A former student in the Central Campus Broadcasting and Film program is beginning to find his answer.

Lester Mwirichia was invited back to class. Lester was in the program as a KDPS radio deejay in 2011, but he returned as a real-life lesson plan this week to share information on the importance of making an internship a valuable experience.

Mwirichia’s initial stops after Central and Hoover High School included enrollment in Iowa Valley Community College and DMACC.  It was at the community college where he started thinking seriously about a career in  journalism.  It was more about “writing” than he ever expected, but his confidence remained high because of all of the hands on projects he tackled in high school.

His next leap was a big one, and a very important one. He applied for a summer internship at Fox Sports Midwest in St. Louis, Missouri. His daily routine last summer was to wake up and go to Ball Park Village at Busch Stadium to practice the art of sports journalism and video production.  Lester shared that he set himself apart from the other interns by presenting himself professionally in appearance, showing up early and being polite. Lester’s future plans include enrollment at Iowa State and employment at local media outlets.

Central Campus instructor Kirk Johnson noted: “Lester’s demo reel from Fox Sports was unbelievably impressive because he was reliable and likable to the people he met.  I  have a strong feeling that they were eager to help him succeed because of the way he treated them.”