Eastern University has many notable alumni, including Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, a sports and entertainment writer and personality in New York. Currently writing and editing for RESPECT magazine, Robinson has profiled stars such as DJ Khaled, Steph Curry, Dr. Ben Carson, LeBron James, and more. Before making it big in the world of journalism, however, Robinson was a student at Eastern University.
Robinson revealed that, initially, Eastern wasn’t his top choice for college. He recalls the moment when he realized Eastern was the place he wanted to be: “During my senior year of high school,” Robinson shares, “Dr. Julie Morgan personally called me, invited me and my family down [to Eastern] and made us feel welcome. I got a tour of the school and I was sold. I’ve never forgotten that. My parents liked that, and we chose Eastern.”
While at Eastern, Robinson was an active member of the community. In addition to being a full time student, he was also an address-announcer and “in-game” DJ for men’s and women’s basketball, and had a similar job for the soccer, lacrosse, and volleyball athletic programs. Robinson was also a student ambassador for Eastern, giving tours to prospective students and recruiting students on Eastern’s downtown Philadelphia campus. Finally, Robinson was also the sports editor and columnist for the Waltonian. Robinson shares that his busy schedule actually helped him learn valuable lessons during his time at Eastern. “Time management was the biggest thing I took from all of my roles within the university. I traveled, I was social, and went to class. The most important thing, however, was getting all of my work done. I find myself leaning on those same principles in my career today.” Attending Eastern impacted Robinson’s faith as well. “While I was at Eastern, my faith grew stronger. Growing up, you’re taught about God and why you should believe in him. But do you know him for yourself or do you know him for what you’re taught? I developed a stronger relationship with Christ while at Eastern by genuinely getting to know him for myself.”
In addition to learning more about his faith, Robinson writes that some of his other favorite memories were connecting with different people on campus. “I remember countless hours of chatting about football with Sodexo’s Tony Jenkins in Walton Hall; vivid discussions about the differences between the pro game and college game with Dr. John Pauley were pretty standard, as were discussions with English Chair, Dr. Chris Bittenbender, about food.”
Robinson clearly values the relationships he made with many people across the board during his time at Eastern. Robinson knew he wanted to pursue a career in journalism from a young age. “Even before Eastern,” Robinson says, “I was… preparing myself for this stage in life. I began in radio at 12.” Robinson also cites his extracurricular activities at Eastern as also helping him reach this goal, specifically writing for the Waltonian and announcing at sports games. He now lives in New York, writing for the magazine RESPECT and releases a podcast, the Scoop B Radio Podcast, every morning. When asked what advice he would give to others attempting a similar career path, Robinson cautioned, “It’s not going to be easy at first; actually, it never will be easy. But if you are good to your craft it will be good to you. Stay hungry always, and always mindful and watchful of your surroundings. Also, don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself.”
Source: Interview with Brandon Robinson