When I last wrote about Durell Thomas Jr. he was going into 12th grade (Year 3 of our Workforce Prep program) at Harper Woods High School. He was dreaming about becoming a professional sports photographer and learning how to put together academic and career plans.
Fast forward to today. I spoke with Durell to find out how he’s doing. We had a very nice conversation which, quite frankly, left me stunned.
After graduating from high school, Durell took what he called “a leap of faith.” He moved 2,000 miles from Detroit to Tempe Arizona where he enrolled at Arizona State University (ASU), leaving behind the familiar to chase his sports photography dream.
“I’m proud of myself,” said Durell. “Coming from where I came from, there’s not a lot of kids like me who get the opportunity or the idea to simply move from home.”
It didn’t take long for Durell to start working on his goal. Early on in his freshman year of college, when many students are preoccupied with getting settled or figuring out their daily routine, Durell was focused on something else. He wanted to get on the ASU sports media team.
“When I got to ASU, I was ready to get straight to work,” said Durell. “I used my networking skills to find people who are part of the Sundevil Athletics media crew. I was reaching out, shooting emails asking for any opportunity to join their team. Eventually they put me in contact with the media coordinator.”
His efforts were rewarded when he was invited to join the sports media team as an intern and create video content for the university’s athletic games.
“They didn’t have an open position, but they liked my work. They offered me an opportunity right there. This was a very valuable thing for me. I got a lot of really good experience that helped me hone my editing and storytelling skills.”
Now a junior at ASU, Durell is thriving in his major, sports journalism, and carving out a name for himself in the world of sports media. He has captured unforgettable and historic moments, including this year’s ASU football playoff season, and he just started working for the sports media company, TummClout Tv Sports Media, as a content developer.
But that’s not it. There’s more. And it’s awesome.
“I took a videography class last semester. My professor used to work for the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team as a videographer. So, that first day of class, when he was telling the class about himself, I was like, ‘Oh, wow. I’d love to connect with him and know how he was able to get that position and shoot for the Diamondbacks.’ I went up to him after class, introduced myself, and asked how I can get a position like that for the Diamondbacks or Cardinals or other Arizona teams. He dropped me a lot of info about how to reach out and network. So that’s what I did. Then a couple weeks later, the Diamondbacks posted a video internship opportunity. I hopped on that as quick as possible. They contacted me saying they would love to interview me. I went through the interview and, the cool thing about it, the video manager said he’d already knew about me and had seen my work, which was surprising to me. He said he was very impressed. A few weeks later, they offered me the internship.”
Stunned by all the successes Durell has achieved in such a short amount of time, I paused for a moment and asked Durell, “How did you do this?”
“The Winning Futures program, and especially my career mentor, Clarence, played a huge role in shaping my path. Clarence taught me about the importance of setting clear goals, staying focused and believing in my abilities, even when the odds are against me. This program helped me develop the mindset and tools for the real world, like building connections, staying organized, or keeping my faith strong during challenges.”
I was quite surprised while listening to Durell talk about his journey. Here’s this young adult, who has achieved so much in a relatively short timeframe and so early in his career, way more than most seasoned adults I know. I couldn’t help but ask Durell, “What’s your secret?”
“One thing Clarence taught me was that setbacks don’t define you. That advice stuck with me, especially during times when I was aiming for bigger opportunities but kept hearing ‘no.’ One lesson I learned is that you can get 100 ‘no’s’ but you will eventually get that one ‘yes.’ And that ‘yes’ was when I landed the internship with the Diamondbacks.”
I asked, “How many ‘no’s’ did you get?” Durell chuckled and replied, “Oh man, that’s a good question. It’s a lot. I had a lot of ‘no’s.’”
After interviewing Durell, I sat back, thought about our conversation and reviewed my notes. I couldn’t help but recall something his career mentor, Clarence, told me back in 2021 when I interviewed him for a story about Durell. Clarence said, “You know, there’s something really special about Durell. This kid is alive and excited.”
Those words, from three years ago, are as accurate today as they were then. Durell is alive. He’s excited. And he’s kicking butt.
With big dreams of one day starting his own sports media company, Durell stays grounded by the lessons of persistence and community. “Through it all, I carry the lessons I learned from Winning Futures, Clarence, and my friends, family, and teachers in Harper Woods. They taught me that anything is possible through hard work and faith.”
If you’re interested, you can view Durell’s portfolio here. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing Durell ascend within the sports media field and capturing those iconic sports moments for all to see and enjoy.
Learn more about our Workforce Prep program and what it means to be a volunteer career mentor.