Alumni
SPOTLIGHTS This fall, three young alumnae with magnificent and quite varied career paths will come back to campus to speak with our students and alumni. They will share their success stories and lessons learned as part of Homecoming Weekend and special speaker series programs. These three women are bound to inspire us all; they serve as excellent examples of how a Pennington education can translate into a bold, courageous, and impassioned life.
Erin A. Simon ’10 You may already know Erin Simon ’10 as the popular host of Cheddar Esports, an online gaming show, and from her podcast, Grass Routes. Interviewing the likes of Snoop Dogg, Kevin Durant, and Marc Merrill (co-founder of Riot Games) is all in a day's work. While at Pennington, Simon was a member of the national championship-winning Girls’ Soccer team, and she went on to play NCAA Division I soccer at the University of Kentucky. Recently, Simon was featured in Forbes Magazine for her contributions as a maverick in the gaming world. Esports are currently poised to gain wider audiences as they rise to the mainstream media, and Simon is at the forefront of it all. Despite her early success, she stays grounded in the Pennington value of humility and says that she is “still progressing in my field, growing as an adult, but finding a career that fits with who I am.” She encourages people who don’t understand esports to be open to them, because gaming is big business and certainly here to stay. “Gamers have careers; some are getting [college] scholarships for it,” she is quick to point out. Her message to Pennington students today is to start creating. “Just figure out what you're passionate about, then start creating, blogging, or putting content on YouTube; you’re never too young to create.” Simon credits her parents with encouraging her individual interests and passions. “They never thought gaming was a waste of time.” Simon will be on campus to talk about her career and tell more about the industry. Catch her shows Cheddar Esports or Grass Routes Podcast for the latest news in gaming.
62
Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2020
