He may have grown up in Tuscaloosa, Ala., but rolling with the tide and bleeding crimson just isn't his style.
As senior Trevor Pruitt prepares to become a proud member of the Mississippi State Class of 2014 at Saturday's commencement, he bleeds maroon and white with all the Bulldog faithful.
"The sense of community here: There are so many more opportunities here at Mississippi State than some people realize," Pruitt said. "Sometimes you have to dig for them, but they're there. You just have to know that there are opportunities all around you to grow, and you just have to be bold enough to be able to take those opportunities and run with them —they're literally everywhere."
When he first came to Mississippi State four years ago, Pruitt knew he wanted to complete his degree in communication. He went directly to the WMSV-FM radio station, located at Meyer Student Media Center near the State Fountain Bakery, and asked for a job.
"I've been here on the air all four years, since August of 2010, and I'm going to miss working here," Pruitt said. "DJing is something I really enjoy; I can talk without anyone to talk to," he continued. "I like to know that listeners enjoy what they're hearing."
He's also proud of his development as an on-air radio personality. Some of Pruitt's biggest moments came when he was given the chance to call soccer and baseball on the radio; the experiences were fun and will look great on his resume, he explained.
"If there's one thing I'll definitely miss when I leave, it's the sense of community at and around Mississippi State," he said. "Mississippi State has started my evolution into my becoming the person that I want to be; I've come a long way."
Pruitt credits radio manager Steve Ellis and news director Anthony Craven for giving him a chance and—perhaps most importantly—forgiving his mistakes.
"Anthony has been very encouraging to my success, and Steve's been extremely helpful," Pruitt said. "They're very patient and very encouraging people; I'm lucky to have worked here as long as I have."
After graduation next week, Pruitt plans to continue working in communication; he hopes to land a good job in sports broadcasting, he said.