University of Massachusets Athletics
Mass Impact: Khari Mitchell '99
December 15, 2020 | Football, Athletics Department, The Minutemen Club
AMHERST, Mass. -- Welcome to Mass Impact, presented by the UMassFive College Credit Union! Mass Impact is a new series featuring alumni discussing how their experiences at the University of Massachusetts helped shape their lives and made them the people they are today.
Today, Khari Mitchell '99 reflects on the impact his UMass football career has had on his professional career as a Vision Territory Manager at Bausch and Lomb.Â
What transferrable skills did you learn as a student-athlete that have helped you be successful in your field?
"As a student athlete, I was on a team but a lot of my development was done on my own. I had to be prepared to compete year end and year out, and it was understood that the responsibility of that fell on me. As I came into the workforce it has been imperative to complete tasks by deadlines and develop projects that involved working with a team as well as on my own. A lot of these skills were formed with the training in college."
Â
Who had the greatest influence on you during your time at UMass?
"In football while you need to have particular skills at your position, what's equally important is your strength and conditioning. Bob Otrando, or as we called him "Coach O," took me under his wing early in my college career to help me develop into a player who could capitalize in almost any situation due to my strength and conditioning coupled with position skills."
Â
How did being a Division I student-athlete help shape who you are today?
"I believe that being at one of the highest levels in college has continued to shape my path today. We were always competing with the best, and I needed to be at my best everyday to survive. That has easily carried over into the work place as I strive to be the best version of myself everyday and continue to set goals while always looking for places to improve."
Â
How has UMass Athletics left a lasting impact on your life?
"All in all UMass has helped to make me the person I am today. They were the only school that believed in me coming out of high school, and once I arrived their mission aligned with mine to help me be the best student athlete possible. The biggest takeaway I have from the program and staff is to always strive to be better than the current version of yourself and never settle."
Â
Today, Khari Mitchell '99 reflects on the impact his UMass football career has had on his professional career as a Vision Territory Manager at Bausch and Lomb.Â
What transferrable skills did you learn as a student-athlete that have helped you be successful in your field?
"As a student athlete, I was on a team but a lot of my development was done on my own. I had to be prepared to compete year end and year out, and it was understood that the responsibility of that fell on me. As I came into the workforce it has been imperative to complete tasks by deadlines and develop projects that involved working with a team as well as on my own. A lot of these skills were formed with the training in college."
Â
Who had the greatest influence on you during your time at UMass?
"In football while you need to have particular skills at your position, what's equally important is your strength and conditioning. Bob Otrando, or as we called him "Coach O," took me under his wing early in my college career to help me develop into a player who could capitalize in almost any situation due to my strength and conditioning coupled with position skills."
Â
How did being a Division I student-athlete help shape who you are today?
"I believe that being at one of the highest levels in college has continued to shape my path today. We were always competing with the best, and I needed to be at my best everyday to survive. That has easily carried over into the work place as I strive to be the best version of myself everyday and continue to set goals while always looking for places to improve."
Â
How has UMass Athletics left a lasting impact on your life?
"All in all UMass has helped to make me the person I am today. They were the only school that believed in me coming out of high school, and once I arrived their mission aligned with mine to help me be the best student athlete possible. The biggest takeaway I have from the program and staff is to always strive to be better than the current version of yourself and never settle."
Â
UMass MBB | Post Game Press Conference vs Eastern Michigan | 01.31.26
Sunday, February 01
UMass MBB | Coach Frank Martin Post Game Press Conference vs Eastern Michigan | 01.31.26
Sunday, February 01
UMass MBB | Broadcast Highlights vs Eastern Michigan | 01.31.26
Sunday, February 01
UMass Hockey | Post Game Press Conference vs. Northeastern | 01.30.26
Saturday, January 31