Three Pioneers Graduate with the First Esports Degree in History

Three students at Syracuse University have made history by becoming the first to earn an esports communications and management degree. Ryan Blankenhorn, Cole Hilary, and Brianna Nechifor are the pioneers of this new educational path, each with unique backgrounds and ambitious plans for the future.

Brianna Nechifor has already secured a full-time role at Riot Games’ remote broadcast center, Gravity Media, where she will serve as a broadcast multi-skilled operator. Nechifor expressed her excitement, stating, "This is honestly my dream job! I’ll be working in Washington state starting in June, and I cannot wait to make an impact there."

Cole Hilary, who has a background in producing, directing, and supporting live streams for different esports competitions, has aspirations to lead his own production team or secure a position as a content director. He shared, "I’ve always enjoyed creating content, and with esports, I love being able to share that content and those stories live with the audience. Being able to tell a story live and use that content to entice and excite people to watch a competition motivates me." Ryan Blankenhorn, with a lengthy gaming career and experience as a caster and coach, plans to pursue a master’s degree in management and Human Resources at the University of Tennessee. He aims to help grow the University’s esports program, stating, "They’ve had an esports club program for more than a decade, and I want to help Tennessee become the first SEC Division I school to earn varsity esports status."