Alumni Spotlight: Travis Sherer
Comedian and comedy show producer Travis Sherer ('05) got his start in comedy at WWU, taking in shows in Vancouver. He was inspired by the folks he saw, main stage talent like George Carlin and Louis Black. Now he's got his own show, his own production company called "Cozy Comedy" and he travels all over the country spreading laughter everywhere he goes.
How did WWU prepare you for your career?
I work a day job at the University of Washington. At that job I use many of the tenets of design, photography and copy editing I learned while getting my journalism degree.
For my comedic career, those technical skills are also essential to creating your own media for promotion. But what I really learned was how to think critically, recognize trends in society and ask questions that have really helped on stage.
What courses, classes, or experiences at Western helped prepare you?
My experiences in the Western Front newsroom taught me how to brainstorm and write with a group. That skill has been invaluable when writing with other comedians often before or after shows. Those experiences on the Front also required a work ethic that I did not have at the time. Pulling all-nighters twice a week to get a newspaper out seemed insane.
Journalism also laid the groundwork for me to be more creative. I was not someone who wrote, acted or did anything creatively before college. I left Western having written an award-winning column for the Western Front. Those quarters I wrote the column were the most fun I had as a Viking.
Is there a particular moment or memory that stands out in your mind about your Western experience?
My favorite moments were the weekends, driving up to Vancouver so I could attend comedy shows. There wasn’t much of a standup comedy scene in Bellingham in the early 2000s outside of the Upfront Theater, which is improv. To see standup, you had to go to Seattle or Vancouver. I went to Vancouver and saw George Carlin, Louis Black, Jerry Seinfeld, Demitri Martin, Kathleen Madigan, Jim Gaffigan, Mitch Hedberg, Dave Chapelle, Dave Atell, and so many more.
Did you have a favorite professor or other WWU employee who made a significant impact on your life or time here? Any favorite professors or experiences you’d like to share? A favorite course or thing you learned in a course?
John Harris was my favorite professor. He has an easygoing yet stern way of running a classroom that somehow both put me at ease while understanding how important basic journalism tenants are. My favorite experience was being the sports editor of the Western Front when we played Central in football at what was then called Qwest Field.
What is your favorite career achievement?
I was the official statistician for Bob Rondeau, voice of the University of Washington Huskies football and basketball teams for 10 years. So far, that has been the most fun I have had using my degree.
What kinds of hobbies do you have? What do you do in your free time?
Hobbies? I have two kids under 10. I have no hobbies. Their hobbies are now my hobbies. I know so much about ballet now!
When I’m not with my kids, I spend my time either in my basement writing material or in clubs, breweries, wineries, and theaters performing.
Do you have any advice for current students?
Finish.
It seems obvious, but get the degree. Your major is most likely negligible. Hopefully you find what you want to do for the rest of your life at Western but statistically that is not likely. You have no idea what you’ll be doing 10 or 20 years after you graduate, but you most likely will need a degree to accomplish it. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met who are following a career path that has nothing to do with their major.
So why get a degree? Follow-through is in short supply. Having a degree demonstrates to yourself and the world that you can set both large and small goals and accomplish them simultaneously. Success is not possible without that skill. Simply put, without a degree, it is incredibly difficult to prove that you are capable of it. And most people spend more than 4 years of their 20s and 30s trying to do just that if they don’t get a degree.