May 2024 grad shines on NBC’s ‘Today’ show

As if the excitement of graduating and preparing for a new job wasn’t enough, recent SUNY Oswego broadcasting graduate Jolie Santiago enjoyed another major opportunity –- starring in a segment on NBC’s “Today” show on May 21.

Appearing on the third hour of the popular news show, Santiago got to banter with 1976 Oswego graduate and “Today” show weather and feature anchor Al Roker and the other anchors, show off her sports knowledge and generally display the poise learned through the university’s renowned broadcasting program.

“On Tuesday morning, I was getting ready and saying ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this right now,’” Santiago recalled in an interview last week. 

“I’ll never forget this moment that happened in the green room,” Santiago said. “I was watching the TV and I saw my picture and I told my mom, ‘They’re talking about me.’ That was so cool. I don’t think there’s anything better than that.”

The segment started with Roker introducing Santiago as “a 2024 grad who represents the next generation of Oswego talent,” followed by banter with the legendary Oswego alumnus and co-hosts Dylan Dreyer, Shinelle Jones and Craig Melvin.

In the sit-down interview, she talked about the opportunities at SUNY Oswego that prepared her for this moment and her future in broadcasting.

“Being in WTOP-10 TV, our student-run station at SUNY Oswego … just being there, having so much fun reporting” made for many of her favorite memories, Santiago told the anchors. “Sports reporting, I love it so much. … I want to be a part of the female sportscasters right now. Seeing all those passionate, confident, energetic women, I want to be a part of that.”

The segment asked Santiago to do some sports analysis, which included Caitlin Clark’s start in the WNBA –- adjusting to the league but also bringing more attention and growth to the WNBA –- and previewing the NBA Conference finals. Santiago showed a full grasp of the games, statistics and trends to provide greater insight while thinking on her feet.

‘Put in the work’

Santiago was not unfamiliar with Roker, having taken the “Building an On-Air Career” class that he co-taught in spring 2023 with communication studies faculty member Michael Riecke. On air, Roker remembered her as always raising her hand and being engaged in the class.

Riecke, who taught Santiago across four courses, agreed. “Jolie came to every class on a mission,” he said. “She took notes, asked thoughtful questions, and craved feedback on her story assignments. She put in the work, and it paid off.” 

NBCUniversal reached out to SUNY Oswego’s Office of Communications and Marketing in April while planning a Class of 2024 series featuring May graduates from the various anchors’ alma maters. As the office looked for candidates along the guidelines provided, Santiago’s name came up repeatedly. 

The university submitted several outstanding students for the opportunity, with NBC ultimately selecting Santiago for the role after a series of chats. Ever the busy student, Santiago had some conversations with NBC producers remotely while attending the Broadcast Education Association annual convention in Las Vegas.

“I told them during the pre-interviews that I had a passion for sports,” Santiago said. She also knew the show really well, and that came off in the interviews. “After sending them my reels, they looked everything over and said ‘You’re perfect for this.’”

“Jolie is a prototype SUNY Oswego broadcasting major: she made every moment count,” said Jennifer Knapp, dean of the School of Communication, Media and the Arts. 

“She is a natural leader, and has the ability to elevate the work of those around her, which I know will serve her well in her professional career,” Knapp added. “Although we are sad to see her graduate, we know we will continue to see the benefits of her leadership and mentorship in our rising juniors and seniors in the department of communication studies, and WTOP. She is a Laker Legend in the making!”

Journey to Oswego

“I grew up in the suburbs of New York City in a proud Puerto Rican family, and from a young age, it was clear that I was outgoing, chatty and inquisitive, so it was no surprise that I set my sights on a career asking questions in journalism,” Santiago said in the preview package that aired before her segment.

Santiago started her college studies at SUNY Rockland, where her accomplishments earned her a Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence while attaining her associate’s degree. But when looking at four-year schools, despite her sparkling resume, many other institutions didn’t put any effort into making her feel welcome.

“I was applying to all these schools, but every time I wanted to talk to somebody about financial aid or scholarships or programs, it was so difficult to reach them,” Santiago recalled. “And that made me feel like I wasn't going to feel like a student there, I would just feel like a number.”

SUNY Oswego was completely different. “Oswego made sure that I had all the information I needed to make a good decision,” she said. “They were constantly in contact with me. They sent me emails and text messages and flyers and merch. Honestly, even before I walked through the door, it showed that they cared about me as a student and wanted me to go there. I felt like it was right for me.”

Santiago hit the ground running as soon as she started as a Laker.

“My peers at SUNY Oswego care so much about each other,” Santiago said. “That made me welcome. If you feel supported around your peers, you know you’ll go far because they are there for you. I really like that about SUNY Oswego.”

“Jolie is a model of the type of impact transfer students can have on our community,” Riecke said. “She wasted no time getting involved in WTOP and WNYO. She asked for more responsibility and seized every opportunity. It wasn’t long before she was taking on leadership roles and mentoring newer students.”

Santiago appreciated the opportunities, including the unmatched experience of a class with Roker. “Along the way, I had some incredible professors, including a familiar face,” she said in the pre-broadcast package, noting Roker’s support: “Al’s main lesson to me: to find my own unique voice. I dream of becoming a sports journalist and I practiced reporting at university sporting events, including SUNY Oswego’s first all-woman sports broadcast.”

That all-woman hockey broadcast, which Roker lauded as well during the broadcast, was an example of the kind of camaraderie and support Santiago found at Oswego. “Every one of those ladies put so much work into it,” Santiago told the “Today” show anchors.

“Professors at SUNY Oswego make you feel special, like you’re doing great and can do a great job,” Santiago said in a subsequent interview. “And the alumni who have come before me are so special. They care so much about us and make sure we’re ready for what’s next. Our professors made sure I talked to alumni and connections that could help me find jobs.”

In July, Santiago will start as a morning news producer for WNYT-13, the NBC affiliate in Albany. It will involve a shift that starts even earlier than the “Today” show airs –- 2 to 10 a.m. -– but Santiago selected it among several job offers because of its opportunities for a rotation that will include being a multimedia journalist, known in the field as an MMJ.

“Being a news producer in a top 60 market coming out of school is really incredible,” Santiago said. “I’m really excited about this position because it has me on a track going from news producer to MMJing with news and sports. They understood when I talked with them about going into sports, and that particularly impressed me.”

Preparation pays off

A diligent student outside the classroom as well, Santiago took time months ago for homework that paid off on the broadcast.

“I’ve been a longtime fan of the WNBA,” Santiago said. “Over Winter Break, I started studying it more and wanted to figure out how to shine more of a light on the league. So I was excited to learn the WNBA could be a topic for this segment.”

While Santiago learned what she was going to talk about in advance, the last 24 hours before the broadcast “were all on me,” she recalled. NBC sent a car to her home in nearby New City, and invited Santiago to bring her mother to the broadcast. Santiago didn’t waste that time either: “In the car, I had my mom ask me questions to prepare.”

At the end of the segment, Jones described Santiago’s performance as “fantastic” and “very very good.”

“Wonderful job,” Dreyer added. “You’re gonna go far.”

Riecke would grade the performance as outstanding as well: “I knew Jolie would make an excellent representative on the ‘Today’ show, but she exceeded my expectations. She was poised. Her energy was on point. Her responses were witty. She delivered a solid performance in every way imaginable,” he said.

“There’s a moment when I stop seeing my students as students and start seeing them as industry peers — professionals,” Riecke added. “That’s what I felt while watching Jolie on the ‘Today’ show. She wasn’t my student anymore. She’s an Oswego State-trained broadcast journalist now. She’s ready to make her mark on media and the world. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes her.”

And Santiago knows that much of that journey –- from the WTOP studios to covering the total solar eclipse in one unique class to working with the “Today” show’s anchors live –- was made possible by SUNY Oswego.

“This was such an amazing experience,” Santiago said. “They made me feel like the star of the show. I’m so thankful for everything Oswego has done to prepare me. I’m so grateful to be representing Oswego and the Class of 2024 in this way. I can’t wait to continue on this path!”

SUNY Oswego 2024 grad Jolie Santiago (center) relishes a moment after her May 21 "Today" show segment with anchors, from left, Shinelle Jones, Dylan Dreyer, 1976 alumnus Al Roker and Craig Melvin. (Photo by Nathan Congleton / NBCUniversal)