UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — About 50 John Carroll University students are learning lessons behind the microphone that will go far beyond the classroom.
The student radio station, WJCU, has become the first school in the world to win both of the International Student Broadcasting Championship's Station of the Year awards.
In 2024, the station won the International Student Broadcasting Championship Station of the Year Award. Last year, it won the organization's People's Choice Radio Station of the Year.
"So there's two different Station of the Year awards. One is judged by industry professionals. The other one is basically a popular vote, and we are now the first school in the world to have ever won both," General Manager Jasen Sokol said.
The station draws students from across the university, not just those pursuing careers in media.
"One third of our students are communications majors, but we draw from everything. We draw from STEM majors, we draw business majors, we draw sports management majors," Sokol said.
For students like Nikolena Samac, a JCU senior and WJCU sports co-director, the experience has opened doors beyond her coursework.
"I learn a lot in the classroom and it provides the fundamental that I need to be successful, but having this opportunity in WJCU has really boosted me above that. It's given me leadership opportunities. It's given me hard skills and soft skills, so public speaking and organizations, scheduling, social media," Samac said.
Samac also earned an international honor of her own.
"I also was named the International Student Broadcast Championship Best color commentator. So that was such a big opportunity. It was, I believe I was the first female to win that award, which was just really special, being a woman in sports and being named the best color commentator in the world just put such a spotlight on John Carroll and the hard work that we put in here," Samac said.
The recognition is giving students a global view of college radio stations.
"The International Student Broadcasting Championship is based in Perth, Australia. They flew here from Australia to present those trophies, and that was a really neat opportunity for our students because they got to see a whole other side of the media world because we learned that college radio is very different in other parts of the world," Sokol said.
They may be student broadcasters now, but at WJCU, they're already tuning in to what could be their future.
The students just returned from The College Broadcasters Incorporated convention which was held in Philadelphia. Next year it is schedule to be held in Cleveland.
