Meet the R.I. high school graduate who wants to be America’s next great sports broadcaster – The Boston Globe

Now he’s taking his talents to Rhode Island College thanks to winning the Rhode Island PBS Scholarship from the Rhode Island Foundation, which provides up to $60,000 (over four years) to students who want to pursue some form of journalism in college. Yean was selected from 27 applicants this year.

I asked him to tell us more about his high school experience and his dreams of becoming a sports broadcaster.

Q: This scholarship is going to help you pursue your dream to become a sports broadcaster. When did you decide you wanted to get involved in sports journalism?

Yean: I wanted to delve into sports broadcasting during the middle of eighth grade, following a math problem in my eighth grade algebra class writing a tortoise-and-hare-like story. The teacher liked my story, which sparked my interest in joining the sports journalism industry. It wasn’t until my freshman year of high school that I joined Thunderbolt Sports Media and quickly became involved in broadcasts with my mentor, Mo Holtzman. Those experiences, along with the guidance of my club advisor and dear friend, Mr. Ken Simone, prompted me to go further into the industry and pursue my dreams of being involved in sports.

Q: You were the Student Council president at Cranston East and also the lead play-by-play announcer for many of the school’s athletic teams. What do you love most about calling games?

Yean: Commentating mainly high school sports, and being a (now former) high school student myself, getting to know these athletes off the field and in the classroom too is a one-of-a-kind thing you rarely see at higher levels of sports. I was able to meet so many awesome people through commentating, being able to get to know them, and build some great relationships. The people I worked with on my broadcasts as well are also fantastic people to be around. It’s the connections with other people that make what I do, at least at this level, worth it. 

Q: You’re heading to Rhode Island College in the fall. What does the Rhode Island PBS Scholarship mean for you?

Yean: Being able to go to college without much financial worry through the Rhode Island PBS Scholarship is the biggest blessing I could ever ask for. To have the last four years of hard work rewarded through a massive scholarship such as this feels amazing – there’s really no other reaction that I could have now. But I’m really glad that my mom and dad don’t have to worry so much about paying for my college education anymore. They’ve already done so much for me, and I’m grateful for them being in my life.

Q: The media has changed so much in recent years. What’s something older readers (and journalists) should know about your generation?

Yean: Social media has transformed how we take in our info. Lots of people my age take in their sports news through video content rather than reading articles. Especially on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc, it’s quick and easy information to take in and instantly react to it. For example, Eric Rueb from the Providence Journal does a lot of video content on Instagram, and I and many people know and love him from that. It’s an interesting time for not just sports journalism, but journalism overall in terms of how journalists and news companies adapt to how people like to take in their news.

Q: Last question: How the heck did you become a Miami Heat fan?

Yean: My father’s been a Miami Heat fan since they became a team, so I followed in his footsteps, so a pretty easy come-up as a Heat fan. I’m unfortunately a speck of red in a sea of Celtic green, so I’ve had too many arguments with my friends to try and recount all of them. Their Finals’ win this year does not help my case, although I’m sure Jimmy Butler and crew will find a way to avenge this year’s embarrassment of a season. I’m a die-hard Patriots fan though, so hopefully it makes up for it in some way for my fellow New Englanders.

This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.

Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.