Life in the Fast Lane

After Da’Rell Henry (Class of 2022) graduated from Mason County High School, he enrolled at Simmons College to play basketball. A historically black college and university (HBCU) located in Louisville, Simmons provided the opportunity to play collegiate basketball, but Henry realized they didn’t quite offer the academic programs he was most interested in. His mom had attended MSU, so when he decided to transfer from Simmons, MSU was an obvious choice.

He enrolled in the sport management program and immediately built a strong relationship with the faculty. In one of Chen’s classes his sophomore year, the class participated in a call with sport management alum, Nathan Blum, who was enjoying a career at NASCAR. In 2021, Chen invited Henry to join him for a Homecoming event, where he got to meet Blum in person. The meeting ended up resulting in Henry being offered a position in NASCAR’s inside sales program.

The opportunity would mean he would ultimately move from Kentucky down to NASCAR’s home base in Daytona Beach, Florida. As a lifelong Kentucky resident, the move was daunting, but Henry knew he would at least have a friend in Blum.

Henry jumped right into the sales program and immediately made a mark. The program is normally a 10-month track to a promotion – but Henry did it in six. He is still with the sales team and hit more than $1 million in ticket revenue in just nine months of a recent fiscal year. You could say he is driving in the fast lane to even greater success.

“The sports management program exposed to me a variety of different jobs available in sports,” Henry said. “From sales to game day operations, if you have a strong resume, the pathways for you are endless. For now, I’ve found a strong home at NASCAR, and I credit MSU for that.”

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Are you able to offer internships to MSU students? Doing so not only connects multiple generations of Eagles, but provides current students with the work experience to give their resume an edge. If you're interested in becoming an internship provider, contact Rebecca Wright, coordinator of internships, at internships@moreheadstate.edu.