Two prominent alumni returned to John F. Kennedy High School to share career advice, personal reflections and lessons learned on their paths to success during the school’s annual Alumni Day.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, a member of the Class of 1985, and Monday Night Football director Artie Kempner, Class of 1977, took part in a panel discussion on Dec. 17 led by the school’s student government. The pair reflected on their years as Kennedy Cougars, discussed how their education helped shape their careers and described the professional journeys that led them to the top of sports media.
Schefter, now one of the most recognizable NFL reporters in the country, spoke about the winding road that brought him to ESPN. Before joining the network in 2009, he built his career through years of newspaper reporting for the Rocky Mountain news and then The Denver Post and radio work.
Schefter told students that internships and early experience played a critical role in his success.
“Volunteer at a paper department, team, or station,” he said, recalling his time working on the student newspaper while attending the University of Michigan. “Do whatever you can to get into the door. It’s all about what you make of the experience while you are there. It’s up to you to go make things happen and seek out opportunities.”
Kempner, an Emmy Award–winner joined ESPN in March after spending nearly three decades at Fox Sports, where he began working on NFL coverage in 1994. During his tenure at Fox, he directed two Super Bowls and became one of only 12 directors to manage the game on any network, bringing extensive experience to ESPN’s Monday Night Football production team. He reflected on the influence of his English teachers at Kennedy in the late 1970s.
Schefter also credited an eighth-grade teacher, Mr. Flannery, with having a lasting impact on his development.
“Reading and writing will guide you in every field you want to go into,” Schefter said. “Those skills are invaluable.”
“That and finding a balance,” Kempner added. “Watch people around you, too, and really listen to them.”
The school also welcomed back several members of the Class of 2025, who spoke with underclassmen about their college and career paths and offered insight into life after graduation.
Emily Kesler, a senior and president of the Kennedy student government, said the alumni’s stories resonated with students.
“It was awesome to have them come back because they didn’t really know what they wanted to do originally,” Kesler said. “They really had to climb, which a lot of us don’t realize while we are in high school. You kind of just have to trust the process and keep learning about yourself and others.”
Schefter and Kempner were inducted into Kennedy’s Hall of Fame in 2012. Their return to campus, school officials said, highlighted the value of maintaining strong ties to the Cougar community.
Gary Morgenstern, co-president of the Kennedy Alumni Association, introduced the speakers and encouraged students to remain connected to Kennedy long after graduation.
“Your relationship with Kennedy should not end when you toss your caps in June,” he told students.
“We are a community that lasts a lifetime. It is a powerful way to network and support the next generation of students.”
