You might not know who Kerry Colby (’17 Comm.) is, but you have definitely seen her work if you followed Washington State University’s sports teams over the past couple of years.
Colby attended WSU, where she majored in public relations in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, and she has had a fun-filled career since graduating in 2017. Her resume includes working for the Seattle Mariners, interning at the Alamo Bowl, writing for Murrow College’s communications team, directing social media for WSU Athletics and, most recently, leading the WSU Alumni Association’s strategic communications efforts.
Regardless of her position, her mind is never far from sports. Colby’s love of sports began when she attended her first game at just a few months old.
“I was just thrown into going to games with my family,” Colby said.
As a student at Murrow College, she found the Association of Women in Communications Club and found her passion and love for sports through one guest speaker, Linda Chalich, then the assistant director of athletic communications. Colby soon got her first job in WSU Athletics as a communications intern in 2016.
“I was impressed with Colby’s maturity as an undergraduate student. She used every opportunity to learn and grow personally and professionally,” Chalich said.
After graduating, Colby went to work for the Seattle Mariners as a marketing and community relations assistant. However, Colby always knew she wanted to return to WSU. She was just unsure of when.
“Deep down, I knew I wanted to go back to WSU Athletics. But when I saw a job at Murrow as a marketing and communications coordinator, I thought: ‘Why not try that,’ ” Colby said.
A short time later, she took the social media director position in WSU Athletics, where she worked for two years under Bill Stevens, the senior associate director of athletics.
“Kerry just had a passion for college athletics. You could just tell that early. It was good to get her back into athletics, and due to her efforts, she left a mark here,” Stevens said.
Colby made her mark in the sports industry not only in what she did for WSU Athletics, but through her achievements as a woman working in sports.
“I think it is important to keep in mind that you belong in sports as a woman; you deserve a place at that ‘table’ just as much as anyone else,” Colby said.
Colby also offered advice to WSU students and recent graduates.
“The thing that helped me was having that old school work ethic. the thing that helped me climb, was taking on any of those extra opportunities that were given,” Colby said.