Year: Senior
Major: Broadcasting & Mass Communication
Hometown: Avon, NY

Have you participated in any internships or overseas study programs?  If yes, where and when?
I have participated in three internships, two with WROC-TV 8 in Rochester, NY (Winter ’07 and Summer ’08) and one with NEP Studios in New York City (Summer ’09)

How has your internship or study abroad experience enhanced your education?
My internships have let me see many facets of the television world that I would not have gotten to see otherwise here at SUNY Oswego. My internships at WROC-TV in Rochester allowed me to see how a real world television station ran and operated, as well as what went into being a good reporter and what it took to get your assigned stories every day. I also found out what it was like to work in a high pressure situation, sometimes with help, and sometimes alone. 

At my internship with NEP Studios, I learned about all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into creating any television program, including a brand new sitcom (‘Sherry’, slated to start on Lifetime in October). I was able to work with equipment bound for and inside the studios of The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. All of these things I never would have been able to learn or experience if I had not done the internships.

What activities are you involved with at Oswego?
I am an active member of WTOP-TV 10 here at SUNY Oswego. I was News Director my junior year. I work on original programs, hockey broadcasts, basketball broadcasts, and the news. I am also an active member of 88.9 FM WNYO. I have had my own radio show there, and have called men’s hockey, women’s hockey, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and high school football. I also write an opinion column from time to time for The Oswegonian. I was a Student Association Senator for a semester as well.

Why did you choose Oswego?
I chose Oswego for the strength of its Broadcasting program. For the money, it is the best you can find. The professors all have real world experience in their field, and the number and breadth of the internships you can choose from is truly stunning. The professors maintain their contacts with people they have worked with in the past, helping students get jobs when they graduate. The facilities, especially the student-run facilities, are beautiful. The strength of the student programs (WTOP, WNYO, etc) was a main reason I chose SUNY Oswego.

What is the best thing about your major?
The amount of hands-on experience that we get. From your first semester, you can be in one of the academic studios working with equipment and learning how to use it. The student programs also help greatly in this. It’s rare to be able to use equipment your freshman year, and it’s one thing that makes Oswego unique and a great place to come as a Broadcasting major.

Generally speaking, what impact has the Oswego faculty had on you?
The Oswego faculty has had a tremendous impact on me, both academically and as a person. Not only do the faculty here try and help you succeed in your studies however they can, but they also help you try and succeed as a person in general. They are all very open if you need to talk, and if you cannot meet during their office hours, they will look to schedule a time where you are both free. They are exceptionally accommodating and helpful.

Who’s your favorite professor and why?
My favorite professor has to be Amy Shore, from the Cinema and Screen Studies department. She is always excited coming into class, and makes the subject matter fun and gets the students interested in it, even when they might not be otherwise. She really knows how to connect to the students, and is a teacher who I will specifically look up classes that she is teaching just to see if I can get into a class with her.

Describe your department’s atmosphere and how it has enhanced your ability to learn.
The department is very friendly and open, from the professors down to the students, and that increases your ability to learn. If you need help with anything, there are always lots of people you can ask, and lots of people always willing to help.

What’s the best thing about SUNY Oswego?
I love the sense of community here at SUNY Oswego. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. As I always say, if you aren’t making friends, then you aren’t leaving your room (I’m serious, you’ll even make friends in your classes). Also, I love the weather here. You’ll experience all four seasons during your time here and they are all simply gorgeous.

Comment on how your Oswego experience has helped prepare you for a career.
The amount of hands-on experience that I have received at SUNY Oswego and the connections I have made through professors and my internships have certainly helped me prepare for a career. I will be leaving Oswego with four years of hands on experience, sometimes twice as much as graduates from other colleges, which will give me a huge leg up on the competition. In the Broadcasting field, who you know is what will help you get a job, and because of the professors and my internships, I now know a lot of people who can help get me a job after graduation.

What opportunities has Oswego given you that you never had before?
I have had the opportunity to do everything I’ve ever wanted to do before, whether that was anchor the nightly news, or call a football game on the radio, or meet celebrities. All of these things, and more, I’ve been able to do through SUNY Oswego and the opportunities it has offered me. All you have to do is take advantage of them.