Jordan Culpepper
Local News

Internship takes H-F grad to the Olympics in Rio

Jordan Culpepper, 2014 graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor High School, is getting ready for whatever task comes his way as a member of the NBC-Universal crew at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Jordan Culpepper is getting ready for whatever task comes his way as a member of the NBC-Universal crew at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The 2014 graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor High School is excited about the opportunity to be part of the international sporting event Aug. 5 through 21 in Brazil working as an NBC Logistics and Operations intern.

  Jordan Culpepper

Culpepper is one of 44 interns selected from more than 2,000 applicants. His main tasks include being in charge of event set-up/break down on NBC-specific programs, but he knows that job description doesn’t cover everything he will be doing.

“I’m sure we’ll be working long hours to accommodate time differences in other countries and serving as the ‘face’ of NBC on-site. We will also serve as directional and administrative support for media officials within NBC,” Culpepper said.

NBC is the official network providing coverage of the games.

Culpepper, a junior at Howard University in Washington, D.C., is majoring in international business. He will be in Brazil for four weeks, and will miss what is termed the “syllabus week” at Howard. He knows this experience will broaden his résumé.

“I welcome a variety of experiences and the Olympics are no different. These experiences are making me a more well-rounded and competitive candidate in the job market when I graduate,” he said.

“I’m using international business as a platform to go into consulting, specifically for international government and economics,” he explained. “Being in Washington, I have been exposed to opportunities within government, business and foreign languages.”

In 2015, Culpepper was an intern with U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly in her Washington office handling correspondence, answering calls and helping edit proposed legislation.

“I think the most rewarding part of the job was giving tours to constituents, because they were from my district.  For some families, the visit to the capitol is their first stop when they get off of the plane, and they are always very excited,” he recalled.

He read up on the history of Washington and the U.S. Capitol so he could answer nearly all the questions visitors had.  

Culpepper, the son of Clifton and Pamela Culpepper of Hazel Crest, was an outstanding student at H-F. He was a member of the Debate and Speech Teams, was the football quarterback for the freshman/sophomore team and a four-year varsity track and field athlete in the 200-meter, 4 X 100, and the 4 X 200 races and the long jump.

He was president of the National Honor Society and a member of the Spanish National Honor Society, a member of DECA and the student ambassador to the Board of Alumni Relations.

He credits his high school teachers, especially his English, foreign language and social studies teachers, with helping him deconstruct his critical thinking skills.

“I was often asked the question ‘So what?’ in reference to my writing samples in an effort to get me comfortable explaining a point in my essays,” Culpepper said. “I think that when you combine students who love to learn with teachers who genuinely love to teach, you become excited about going to class everyday.”

Culpepper said his Olympic internship “serves as a true testament of what can happen when you step outside of your comfort zone.  So with that I encourage all students, high school and college alike, to venture outside of what they are used to and see what happens!”

 

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