Bob Pompeani graduated from Point Park University in 1982 and jumped right into a career at KDKA as a sports anchor.

Celina Pompeani graduated in 2013, and four years later would find herself as PensTV talent and KDKA’s morning traffic reporter, following her father’s footsteps.

Like father, like daughter, right?

The Pittsburgh Center for Sports Media and Marketing will host the two former graduates to speak on their compelling careers. Bob and Celina Pompeani will speak to students and faculty in the Lawrence Hall Ballroom on Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. about their journeys from Point Park to the top of the Pittsburgh news scene.

For students attending the event, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to connect and understand what it takes to go from a Point Park student to one of the most iconic broadcasters in the area. While Bob and Celina have created their careers through different elements of their respective fields, they’ve used their education as a Pioneer to continue rising through the Pittsburgh media field.

“They’ve actually graduated from this college and showed you that you can get a job after college,” sophomore broadcast reporting student major Meghan Macioce said. “Since they’re locals here in Pittsburgh, it makes it more of a personal event it becomes more of a personal event for everyone.”

While all Center for Sports Media and Marketing events provide insight for students, the Pompeanis will use their experience to enlighten students on the changing world of broadcasting. With new forms of social media constantly arising, Bob and Celina will explain how they’ve used the continuously changing trends to gain the upper hand throughout their careers.

“The topic of their presentation is the changing face of television and media, which is going to encompass everything from how broadcasting has changed for them in the way of how they share their information and how broadcasters now have to have a social media presence,” Center for Sports Media and Marketing Graduate Assistant Dani McSweeney said. “Broadcasting is still broadcasting and you have to do your work on TV, but at the same time, you’re not going to be successful if you don’t incorporate the social media and new media trends, too.”

Compared to other events the Center for Sports Media and Marketing has hosted, the Pompeani’s hold a special place. As two of Point Park’s most notable alumni, sharing their success provides a personal connection other guest speakers have not been able to share with students. 

“This is probably going to be the best event that we’ve had this year just because the past two have been great and had a lot of information, but Bob and Celina are both presenters by nature,” McSweeney said. “They’re Point Park alumni, they are Pittsburgh personalities, so they’re people who are recognizable and are big deals in the city.”

Even if the Pompeanis are no longer working within the Point Park system and have found their success through different aspects of their profession, they bring an original characteristic: the same starting point.

Point Park has a successful reputation, Bob and Celina are only two of the many success stories. For many students, that’s why they choose to continue their education as Pioneers. Now they get to listen to the insights of two people who have been where they are and have turned their experience into the dreams they were chasing when they first stepped on campus.

“It’s good that they brought alumni, because it proves you can create a big name in a sports realm or the selective realm that you want to be in through Point Park’s education,” Center for Sports Media and Marketing Student Advisory Board m ember Kyle Kuhns said.