Getting To Know Brady Palen

The first edition of the "2024-25 Getting To Know" series introducing the newcomers of the USC Track & Field program highlights graduate transfer jumper Brady Palen. Outside of being an extremely talented jumper, Palen is an avid country music fan and golfer who shares his journey from Kansas to Southern California.

Q: You came from Wichita State as a grad transfer student. How would you say the transition has been so far coming to Southern California.

B.P.: The transition has been pretty smooth as far as logistics and everything. I've got to take my truck out here from Kansas, and it was about a 24 hour drive. So getting out here, it went really well, and then I'm starting to get settled in and meet new people.

Q: What would you say is the biggest difference between being in Kansas and Wichita State and being here?

B.P.: There's a lot more traffic, and it's a little bit harder to go around. One of the big things I worried about was gas prices coming out here because I drive a pickup, but everything is so close on campus that now that I've got a scooter. I can run around and do anything I want, all within a mile or two. And that's a big difference, because I was used to just running around, getting on the highway in Wichita, and then exiting off and going to Walmart or whatever, and here I can just drive down the street, and there's a Target on campus, so that's nice. And everything the city's big, and there's more stuff to do, but everything I need that's essential is right here and close to me.

Q: What made you decide to ultimately come from Wichita State and transfer here as a grad student?

B.P.: I wanted to challenge myself a little bit more. I accomplished a lot of the things I set out to do in college at Wichita. I have this opportunity to go try something new and meet new people and get out of the Midwest for a little bit. I grew up there, so I wanted to establish some connections outside the Midwest that will hopefully pay off later on in life.

Q: What do you enjoy most about being a student athlete here at USC?

B.P.: I would say practice is a lot of fun. I look forward to practicing every day because it's something I can rely on to speak with people and socialize. It's something guaranteed that I can count on going to a new place with no new connections. That was a challenge for me. Coming here and getting to go to practice and different athletic department events has really been a bonus for me.

Q: Has joining USC changed your perspective on any aspects of life whether that is academically or athletically?

B.P.: I am really impressed with the program I've been put in here. I am a finance undergrad, and I've worked on my MBA, but joining the Gerontology school here has been really impressive. I didn't know what to expect coming in. I feel like it's pretty intensive from what I thought it might be. The athletic department has really changed my perspective. When I was coming in, I figured I've got nine more months of my athletic career. I just need to focus and lock in on that. When I come here, I talk to other athletes, and they're talking about a professional athletics life, and that is something that really wasn't open to me. But I'm considering it now more than what I have before because of the environment I'm in.

Q: How do you plan to use it post-graduation and post-USC?

B.P.: I am in a plan to be in business and financial advising where people are preparing for the future, and I think that ties in well here with gerontology, where you're looking into the future, and what you can do now to set yourself up for success later in life.

Q: Specifically, do you want to be a financial advisor or do you want to help in banking?

B.P.: I have done banking. I was in banking when I was in Wichita. I worked there part time about 20 hours a week in the mornings, and it was great to meet people and make connections. I want to transition into more of a role where I'm helping people more intensively and getting a better understanding of people's financial situations and their goals. When I was working on the teller line, you're just running transactions for people. I think the more I know about people, the more I can help them, and establishing those connections is just going to help them.

Q: Have you encountered any personal challenges that may put things into perspective a bit more, whether that's on the track or your professional life?

B.P.: The biggest personal challenge for me moving out here is there's a lot of people, but they all seem to be different from me, and I've got to learn how to interact with people that don't have the same background as me. Coming out here and trying to meet new people is a challenge because you're looking for people that share the same experiences as you. I do have challenges with that so far, but the athletic department and the school I'm in gives me the opportunity to take that step.

Q: Do you have any personal goals or milestones that you'd like to reach this track season?

B.P.: I really want to be able to help our team win a national championship. I pretty much have been brought out here for that one goal. I feel like I'm a little bit of a wild card, and the team's counting on me to put up some points at the national championship.

Q: You started off in javelin in high school. What made you start competing in jumps?

B.P.: In high school, I would do every event that I could. I would do the javelin, long jump, high jump, and the 4x100m relay. I've always known I have been able to jump. They kind of put me in those events, and I just explored them. I really liked jumping, mainly because of basketball, where it was fun to dunk, and I excelled at basketball because I got out jumping. That's how I focused on high jump.

Q: I hear they have a particular interest in golf and pickleball. How do you find interest in those hobbies?

B.P.: Growing up, I grew up around a golf course. I lived with a golfer my freshman year. It was admirable to see somebody excelling at a sport like that which takes such precision and skill and mindset. I really worked on that. And then towards my junior and senior year, I lived with golfers in Wichita, so I tried to make them help me out a little bit. And I've just really fallen in love with the game. When I was being recruited by Wichita State, the head coach actually came to my home course and played golf with me. For pickleball, I like something competitive where you're not only competing against yourself.

Q: What is your handicap in golf?

B.P.: I'm a 5.9 right now, so that's the lowest I've been in the summer. It's been a little bit of an adjustment here. I've been able to play golf once here. I'm looking forward to the day when I get to go out and play nice courses here.

Q: Is there another hobby that you're trying to explore here at USC?

B.P.: Unfortunately, the pickleball courts were just taken out this week. I haven't found one yet.

Q: I hear that you're also a country music fan, particularly a fan of Morgan Wallen. What is your favorite song of his?

B.P.: My favorite Morgan Wallen songs are probably Heartless or Livin' the Dream. They're both pretty good songs. I like how he's got a good mix of some bass and country music, which makes it a little more fun. Country music is something that tells a story and is emotional. I try to find country music that has a little bit better of a beat behind it

Q: Do you have a spot in L.A. for outdoor activities?

B.P.: I've just been going and exploring different beaches, so that's been pretty fun. I was always outside doing stuff. I've done some hiking on trips. I'm not by any means an experienced hiker. But being outside is something I enjoy. I hate sitting in one spot and just like sitting in my room, so getting out and doing stuff is what I enjoy.

Q: Do you have any ideal vacation destination?

B.P.: My next goal is to get outside the United States for a vacation. I've been fortunate enough in college athletics to travel all over the U.S., but I haven't quite made it international yet.

Q: Do you have any other fun facts about yourself?

B.P.: I did have a pet raccoon in high school named Corn Dog.

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Getting To Know Brady Palen

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