Brian Verne

As a recent graduate of Oberlin College (Oberlin ’09), I spent the last four years of my life around a progressive student body that was very much involved in many of the important social issues that we face today. The “Oberlin Way” of “Learning and Labor” encourages students to get involved with something that they can be passionate about while also making a difference.

My Oberlin College experience was a bit different than many Oberlin Alums. I spent many of my afternoons, nights, and weekends on the baseball diamond. I was a four year starter and two year team Captain of the baseball team. My baseball experience was invaluable to my development as a young adult.

When not on the baseball diamond, I was busy working with children at the local elementary school or rebuilding homes that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

My senior year, I pioneered a tutoring program between the Oberlin College Baseball Program and Prospect Elementary (Oberlin, Ohio). My teammates and I went into three fifth grade classrooms four times a week and tutored the students in math and reading. The students were invited to a home baseball contest where we held a cookout for them during the game. Each student also received an Oberlin College Baseball T-Shirt courtesy of the team.

I spent my Fall Break of 2008 in Waveland, Mississippi. I accompanied about twenty other Oberlin students to the Dreamfuel Center in Waveland, Mississippi. We spent a week rebuilding homes that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Today, I have continued pursuing my interest in education. I am currently working as an Assistant Teacher at Hope Academy Cathedral. Hope Academy is a public charter school in inner-city Cleveland.

I also co-founded CnXn, short for “Connection.” CnXn is a social entrepreneurship that uses the sales of sports apparel to unify individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds. CnXn sports apparel sales will give us the necessary exposure and capital to fulfill our goal of promoting inner-city education and athletics (particularly Baseball) in Cleveland and beyond. In the future, we would like to form a separate non-profit organization that will enable us to build the CnXn Center. The CnXn Center will double as an academic enrichment center and indoor baseball facility. (Comprehensive Business Plan available upon request).

I have interned at the world renowned sports and media enterprise IMG. I worked in the golf department as a part of Arnold Palmer Enterprises.

In addition, I have three years of experience in public relations and media relations serving as an assistant to the Sports Information Director at Oberlin College. I worked on game programs, game management, athletics website upkeep and design, fund-raising with alumni, media guides, and sports writing. I am proficient in PhotoShop and have experience with InDesign.