Thanks in large part to his student experiences at Pfeiffer University, Anthony White ’08 has become the kind of communications professional who can tell his own stories compellingly or help others share theirs.

He is the Manager of Arena Communications at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. Prior to that, he worked for several companies, including The Home Depot, for which he drew on his storytelling skills to promote products and job openings in stores. He has also co-edited an online magazine.

White first realized his gifts in storytelling might matter in his post-graduation work life when, in addition to taking several journalism courses, he began writing for The Falcon’s Eye, the University’s newspaper. He eventually became the news editor.

“Until then, writing was just a hobby,” said White, a native of Gastonia, N.C. who majored in psychology and communications at Pfeiffer. “We all have gifts that we did not give ourselves. I think it’s our responsibility to share those gifts with the world. So many supportive professors and mentors at Pfeiffer really nurtured and supported my craft. They helped me to believe that I had something and that it could take me somewhere.”

That “somewhere” emerged while White was still at Pfeiffer — thanks to Bear Frazer ’05, another editor at The Falcon’s Eye. In 2007, Frazer heard that BallerStatus was looking for freelance writers and helped White land an assignment at the publication, which covers everything from lifestyle trends to entertainment. The assignment entailed interviewing Cupid (aka Bryson Bernard), who’s best known for “Cupid Shuffle,” a line dance single from 2007 that made it to #68 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would mark the first time that White saw his byline in print.

“It was so exciting for me,” he said. “It really opened my mind to the possibility that writing could be a career. I never knew this could be a thing. I thought, ‘This is amazing.’”

The same could be said about his current position at State Farm Arena. As Arena Communications Manager for the downtown venue, White serves as the public relations contact and manages all media relations for events, primarily non-basketball. A large area of his responsibility is concert media management. He works directly with artist publicists and tour promoters to not only help amplify the messaging about a show but assist with the media on-site. The media with whom White deals ranges from the traditional (e.g., a print or online version of a newspaper) to the modern (blogs, social media platforms, and podcasts).

One show that White worked with and was especially proud of was the annual “Birthday Bash” extravaganza featuring Latto and Friends.

“Birthday Bash was a different kind of beast,” White said. “Because of the scale and the nature of the show, it was a heavy lift but thanks to everyone who was involved, all of those who attended had a great night out.”

White has also assisted with concerts featuring some of the industry’s biggest stars like Usher, Sabrina Carpenter, the late Frankie Beverly, and the legendary Stevie Wonder.

White’s gifts in storytelling can be pivotal in his role when it comes to heightening awareness about arena events and initiatives.

“We host some great events, but we also do some incredible things in the community,” White said. “These range from our volunteer opportunities — including the Million Meal Pack, where we had over 6,000 volunteers pack over a million meal kits that we distributed to the community — to our sustainability efforts. We’ve hosted over 500 zero-waste events and counting. These are stories that need to be told.”

When White’s not attacking his big to-do list at State Farm Arena, he’s contemplating his next writing project, be that a blog or a magazine article. This time around, he’s experimenting with a new genre by trying his hand at short stories.

“I think I’m always going to do something in writing,” he said. “I keep a pen and a notebook with me all the time because I’m always jotting something down. So, I think regardless of where I end up in my career, there will be a large aspect of writing still very much happening in my life.”

These sentiments have their origins at Pfeiffer, at which White’s professors and mentors opened up and encouraged him to pursue a world of limitless possibilities.“Their message to me was that you can do more, you can go further, you can go higher,” he said. “I’m forever grateful for that.”

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This article was written for Pfeiffer University by Ken Keuffel.