Grady Leatherwood

Hello, my name is Grady Leatherwood, and I am a rising senior at Calhoun High School in Calhoun, Georgia. I have an immense passion for sports and writing, and I aspire to become a sports journalist in the future. Despite the many programs and opportunities my school offers, they do not offer a school newspaper or journalism class. As a result, I took matters into my own hands by starting a social media account to document Calhoun’s football team. During the games, I post live score updates keeping the community informed. Additionally, I create social media graphics for the account. I have run the account for two years now and have gained a decent following. As for official school activities, I have participated in my school’s marching band for four years as a trumpet player. This upcoming school year, I am ending my tenure with the band to pursue other opportunities, such as a potential internship with Calhoun’s local newspaper or starting a school newspaper. I am also a member of numerous clubs at my school including Future Farmers of America (FFA), Beta Club and National Honor Society. For the past two summers, I have worked for my school’s summer feeding program, making and providing meals to children in need in the community.

I have always loved reading and writing, but I didn’t realize my passion for journalism until around the seventh grade. I’ve always wanted to have a job working in sports and when I realized that I could make a career out of watching and writing about sports, I have made that my goal ever since. I love the prospect of telling the stories that makeup the framework of sports. Every team, athlete, coach and fanbase have a unique story to tell, and I want to uncover their narratives and share it. I want to be able to capture of all the emotions that sports elicit and encapsulate them into writing. While I have no “real” experience with journalism, I sometimes write in my free time for fun about the sports games I watch. My academic goal is to attend the University of Georgia and ultimately the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

My favorite thing to do is watch sports, especially with my father. Sports are such a key element of my life, as they have provided some of my best and worst memories and have strengthened the bond between my dad and me. My favorite teams are the Georgia Bulldogs, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks and Baltimore Ravens. Some of my earliest recollections are watching the Bulldogs play football on Saturdays and attending Braves games at Turner Field with my dad. My favorite sport to watch fluctuates and depends on the season. I enjoy traveling, especially to different sports venues. I have visited 13 states and Washington, D.C.. Every place I go, I like to take pictures to document my journeys. Additionally, I enjoy watching all different kinds of movies and television series, especially ones inspired by comic books. My favorite movie is “The Wolf of Wall Street” and my favorite television series is “Ted Lasso”. I like to go to the theater and watch new movies with friends and then write reviews on Letterboxd after. I spend the rest of my free time listening to music, reading, and hanging out with family.