ESPN’s Malika Andrews Discusses Career at Compton Early College HS

How do students learn about jobs and careers? By meeting professionals and listening to their stories.

Malika Andrews, host of ESPN’s NBA Today and NBA Countdown, visited Compton Early College High School recently and discussed how she became a journalist and television personality. Andrews answered questions from CEC scholars, explaining how her father introduced her to sports when she was growing up in Oakland and how she started working as a journalist because she wanted to tell stories.

Andrews said one of her most impactful moments working at ESPN was covering the NBA shutdown when COVID first hit and how, within a few days, the world completely changed. She noted that one of her career highlights was having her sister join her in the television studio for the first time.

Malika’s talk at Compton Early College High School was put together by Saving Our Daughters, a non-profit founded by Debbie and Curtis Benjamin, with the mission to support adolescent girls of color in overcoming social barriers such as bullying, mental health, and low self-esteem.

Andrews took time to pose for photos with all the scholars and answer their questions.