Breaking the Press: Dominique Patrick's Journey to Syracuse

Story and Photo by Zach Staton

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Of the various aspects Dominique Patrick is looking forward to about Syracuse, trudging through the snow will not be one.

"Oh gosh, don't remind me," Patrick said while seated at a table at Food.com in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications building. "It's going to be pretty bad for me to get adjusted to that."

The native of Birmingham, Ala. is transitioning to a whole new world living in Upstate New York.  Her outgoing personality, however, has made the change a bit easier to deal with.  Many know her by the nickname "The DomBlonde," a name she gave herself.

"I was starting a YouTube channel, and it was actually about my hair," Patrick said. "So it just came to me one day, I thought it was pretty clever."

With both of her parents athletes, she says she was always interested in sports.  Growing up, she tried various sports, trying to find the right spot for her.  She found her love for basketball after watching former University of Tennessee forward Candace Parker dunk for the Volunteers.  She gravitated towards the passion she saw in women's basketball and wanted to pursue it further.

As a player at Brenau University in Gainesville, Ga., she averaged 7.1 points per game and 3.1 rebounds for her career.  However, it was in the classroom where she gained major accolades, including being named a 2016-2017 Daktronics-NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Scholar Athlete.  Being able to balance the hectic schedule of a student-athlete helped Patrick learn to prioritize and sacrifice.

"I think the first year I did it, I was really struggling with 'How am I going to do this? This is impossible,'" Patrick said. "But as time went on, I just really learned how to juggle it."

Now, she is ready to move from the hardwood to the newsroom. She says she did not know much about Syracuse before she applied, and was not confident she would get in.

"I applied and got in, and I didn't get in anywhere else," Patrick said. "So I guess it was here or nowhere."

She says she wants to work for ESPN one day, but also would not mind working for the ACC Network or SEC Network.

To listen to my full interview with Dominique Patrick, click here.

A transcription of my interview with Dominique can be found below.
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Q&A with Dominique Patrick

Q: I’m here with Dominique Patrick, and Dominique you have a unique nickname: the DomBlonde. How did that come about?  Obviously with the blonde hair, but who gave it to you, how did it happen, and how did it stick?

A: Well I gave it to myself actually.  I was creating a YouTube channel, and it was actually about my hair, like a natural hair channel.  I still have it.  Basically, the DomBlonde, I wanted to use a play-on word for blonde and I couldn’t think of anything, and I was like, “What about the DomBlonde,” since my name is Dominique, so I liked the first half and then I’m blonde. So it just came to me one day, I thought it was pretty clever. I might have to shake that name in the future because it’s a little inappropriate, I guess. But that’s how it came about.

Q: So, with your bio on Newhouse Sports, you said the things you love are music, art, poetry, maybe some stuff dealing with cosmetics.  But you were a college basketball player at, is it Brenau University?

A: Yes, you’re the first person to get that right ever!

Q: Cool.  With a last name like mine, it’s hard.  Did you always have a passion to try to play college basketball or was it something that just sort of happened as you went along?

A: I’ve always been interested in sports ever since I was little because I’ve always been around it. Both my parents were athletes. But I tried different things, I played softball and volleyball and kind of bounced around a little bit and then I finally realized that I really wanted to play basketball. I think I was watching Candace Parker play for Tennessee, and I remember, I would never be able to do this but she dunked the basketball. She was the first woman I have ever seen dunk ever and I didn’t think it was possible. I don’t know, she’s just a very passionate player so ever since I really studied her, watching her, and we play two different positions, but I saw that women’s basketball had so much passion it and I wanted to play at the next level, but that didn’t work out. I still grew to love it from, I started playing the third grade, so I kept working my way up and getting more competitive. I just found that I loved it.

Q: One of the accomplishments you had in college was you were an NAIA basketball-scholar athlete. What was it like balancing the schedule between practice, games, and trying to get academics done?

A: Whew, it was always hard. You just really have to prioritize and sacrifice a lot because we’re in college and we want to go out and we want to have fun, but sometimes you have to prioritize in the fact that “I have practice in the morning” or “I got this paper due.”  I think the first year I did it, I was really struggling with “How am I going to do this? This is impossible.”  But as time went on, I just really learned how to juggle it and really learned how to prioritize, like I said, and get a planner. That helped out a lot.

Q: So after you finish your basketball season, why did you decide that Syracuse was the right place to come?

A: Honestly, I didn’t know much about this program. I heard about it but, honestly, I was looking for grad. programs that were good in broadcasting and good in journalism.  And I Googled it, and I Googled Newhouse at Syracuse and it said “Top Programs.”  I’m not even going to lie, I didn’t even think I would get in. So, I said, “Well, what the hell? I’m just going to apply.” And I applied and I got in, and I didn’t get in anywhere else. So I guess it was here or nowhere, so I basically was chosen by default to come here. Once I did the research, and I did a little bit of research of course before I actually applied, but I saw there was so much greatness around it and I just really wanted to be a part of that alumni.

Q: What is it that you want to do after you’re done with the Master’s program here? Because you’re an SCE student as well.

A: When I’m done, it sounds kind of cliché, but I want to work for ESPN. I know that’s everyone’s dream in sports.  Also, I kind of want to work for a network, as far as maybe the ACC Network or the SEC, me being from Alabama the SEC is huge. So, I wouldn’t mind working for a college network and working my way up. So, yeah.

Q: Last question, what is it like transitioning from the absolute deep south in Alabama to Upstate New York where it’s probably going to snow from October until April?

A: Oh gosh, don’t remind me. It’s going to be really hard. It sucks because, like in undergrad. you kind of have that one day where you’re like, “I’m not going to go to class.” But here, you can’t really miss class and so you just have to tough it out. I don’t have a car so I’m going to have to do a lot of walking in the snow, and obviously I’m not going to have any choice but to get used to it.  But yeah, it’s going to be pretty bad for me to get adjusted to that.

Q: You’re also transitioning from a state that’s more football centric to more basketball centric now, so I’m sure that’ll be something that you like considering you played basketball.

A: Yes, I’m really excited about being in the ACC with basketball.  I’m really excited to go to the games. I’ve never been to a big ACC game.

Q: They’re fun.

A: Yeah, I could tell they’re fun, I’ve looked at the pictures. Football will definitely be different up here. We have diehard Alabama fans and Auburn fans.  And I am an Auburn fan, I get asked that a lot if I’m Alabama. No, I’m Auburn. But yeah, I’m excited to see more so of the basketball side.

Q: Dominique, thanks a lot for sitting down with me.

A: Thank you!