By Markita C. Rowe / 05/11/2025 Alumni

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (May 12, 2025) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University continues to build on its legacy of excellence in journalism as Caulin Avery ‘25 has been selected for the 2025 Sports Journalism Institute’s (SJI) 33rd class among 16 students nationwide. 

SJI, established in 1992, provides a nine-week training and internship program for college students pursuing careers in sports journalism. The program introduces students to sports reporting and editing while contributing to greater racial and gender diversity in sports media.  

“I was truly excited to be accepted into the SJI program,” said Avery, who received his B.S. in journalism and mass communication May 10. “This experience will allow me to gain the insights and skills needed to be a great professional journalist.”  

Originally from Atlanta, Avery is preparing for his journey by connecting with past A&T SJI participants, Jordan Davis ‘23 and Kamryn Jackson ’24, who have offered guidance and encouragement. 

The 2025 SJI class will begin their training with an intensive one-week boot camp at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, June 7-11. This boot camp will include lessons in game analysis, multimedia storytelling, ethics in sports reporting and career development. 

Following the boot camp, Avery will intern with FOX Sports, where he will gain firsthand experience in sports feature writing, multimedia reporting, and sports television production. 

As a N.C. A&T student, Avery was actively involved in multiple professional development organizations, including the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE). He was also a key contributor to The A&T Register, serving his final year as TheSCORE editor, where he led coverage of Aggie athletics and special sports features. 

“I just want to keep the tradition of Crosby Kids doing amazing things in the journalism field going,” said Avery, referring to Crosby Hall where the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication is housed at A&T. “In the future, I want to be in a position to pour back into the Crosby Kids like they did for me.”