On the third day of its 2026 Special Awards announcements, CSC recognizes the following seven award winners: Achievement Award recipients Troy Andre and Nathan Looney; Liza David (Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award); Travis Jarome (Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award); Bill Wagner (Lester Jordan Award); Kirk Herbstreit (Jake Wade Award); and Anthony Avila (Bud Nangle Award).

Jarome, associate athletics director for public relations & sports media at Jackson State University, will be honored with the Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award, recognizing members for civic involvement and community service both within and outside the profession.

"I am humbled to receive this honor," Jarome said. "When I began volunteering, and still to this day, it was not for recognition. It was to give back, pay it forward, and make an impact. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10: 'Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.'  My goal is to always be the hands and feet of Jesus, and be a blessing to others."

Beginning his third year at Jackson State, Jarome has represented the Tigers on the national stage by hosting a webinar with Jen Fry and Scottie Rodgers, speaking at the NCAA Inclusion Forum in Indianapolis (April 2024), and moderating a panel at the CSC/NACDA Convention (June 2024). He is also serving the second a two-year term on the CSC Executive Board that began in June 2024.

Prior to Jackson State, Jarome had stops at multiple institutions including Alabama State, South Alabama, Tuskegee, Troy, North Georgia, and Auburn Montgomery. While at Alabama State, he served as the host of Live In The Hive, Unplugged and the Hornet Nation Unfiltered podcast; while also serving as the voice of the Hornets on the air of live athletic events. He was also instrumental in the re-launch of the Hornet Sports Network by HudlTV in the winter 2024. Jarome was named the SWAC SID of the Year for 2020-21 after serving as the chairman of the SWAC Sports Information Committee. He was also one of four SIDs this past year to be named SIDs of the Year by Black College Nines. In addition, for the past three years, he has served as a valued member of the official statistics crew at league-sponsored events. Other notable accolades under Jarome's tenure include a full-scale redesign of the BamaStateSports.com website.

Staying on the cutting edge of media field practices has been a a trademark for Jarome during his tenure at Alabama State. He and his staff conducted the first virtual press conference for a SWAC member institution with the hiring of Mo Williams which saw over 100 media members globally participate in the event along with one-on-one interview sessions. 

Away from work, Jarome has volunteered a number of hours beginning as a teenager and continuing into his professional career. Over the last few years, he has spent serveral hours as a volunteer with youth at both Mulder Church (Wetumpka, Ala.) and most recently at Word of Life Church (Flowood, Miss.). He has also spent countless hours with outreach at other events outside of his current institution (volunteering at athletic events), youth camps, and Days of Service at Jackson State. Jarome has also spent time at Emmaus Walks, serving in roles during a 72-hour weekend with other adult men growing in faith.

All CSC Special Awards honorees will be recognized during CSC's annual convention, CSC Unite 26, which takes place June 7-10 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. The convention is held in conjunction with NACDA and Affiliates Convention Week.

Follow Jackson State Athletics
For complete coverage of Jackson State athletics, follow the Tigers on social media at @GoJSUTigers (Instagram and Twitter), Jackson State Tigers (Facebook), or visit the official home of Jackson State athletics at GoJSUTigers.com.