TEXARKANA - I am a professional journalist because I'm a sports writer. I graduated from the Walter J. Lemke School of Journalism at the University of Arkansas. Those two things are key credentials for validity in my profession.
Like many Americans, I've spent the past few weeks social distancing and also spent time reflecting. I've had the chance to watch a professional football player go about his unique offseason.
This is because we've been working out together. There's myself, the NFL player, two college athletes and three high school prospects. It's become such a regular thing, I gave our group the moniker, "The Breakfast Club."
The professional football player is getting ready to report to his particular team and the rest of the guys need to be ready when it's time to report to their respective teams.
I'm participating for sheer leisure and to possibly attain better physical shape. I'm the only member of The Breakfast Club that does not partake in the weightlifting.
I've learned two distinct things being around the professional athlete while he prepares for his upcoming season.
Although I'm older, the athlete has been a professional in his respective field longer than I have. He's been a pro for five years and I've only been writing, going on three years.
First thing I've observed is his attention to detail.
Every rep, there's a seriousness that comes over him before he starts. At first, everyone that would participate behind him, typically wouldn't have the same fierceness as the professional.
The athlete once shouted at me, "Hey Earl, this is how I feed my family. I can't play with this. I have a lot riding on this season."
Those words struck me in awe because it can be applied to anyone's life.
I as a journalist should want to diversify my writing style and also obtain as much knowledge about words as I can. I should try to be the best reporter in the country.
As a professional, you can't get complacent because there's always someone there to replace you.
The second thing I learned came during one of our recent sessions.
The professional athlete stressed the importance of education to the high school prospects, much to their dismay.
And as one motivated to be the best at his position in the NFL, he touched on a point that I believe doesn't get stressed enough.
For context, everyone involved in The Breakfast Club is a minority between the age of 16 to 33.
In Texas, blacks comprise 12.3% of the population, while Hispanics make up 39.6% and whites make up 73.5%, per the US Census Bureau.
The Texas graduation rates have risen steadily for Hispanic and white students since 1996. The rates have remained relatively flat for blacks at 35 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
The federal graduation data only accounts for those freshmen who start and finish college at the same school, plus it doesn't account for transfers nor those who enter universities with a significant amount of college credit earned in high school.
Still, it's the most consistently reported data available giving a snapshot of disparities that remain in our country in the education system.
In the end, I hope the high school prospects understand the advice that has been given to them this quarantine period and they'll be able to share it with their friends.