Alumni Spotlight: Jeffrey Poulos (2013)

July 22nd, 2023 by Liz Kosik

Jeffrey Poulos (Right), a class of 2013 graduate, discusses his experiences at WLOY and shares some charismatic advice for college students.

Q: Can you tell us about your show at WLOY? (name and theme, genre of music)

A:  The name of our show was ‘Know Your Role’ which received its name from the famous wrestler, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who would tell his opponents to know their role during his promotion videos before a match.  I co-hosted the show with my best friend, Anthony Medina ’13 (Left in Photo), who also shares a similar passion for classic wrestling theatrics and storylines from The Rock’s era.  More specifically, the show featured flashbacks of classic rock including, Black Sabbath, CCR, The Beatles, Bachman Turner Overdrive, and even lighter tunes from Cat Stevens, to Jim Croce and everything between the late 1960s through 1980s.  Every show ended with either Anthony or I agreeing to tell a person, place, or thing to ‘Know Its Role’.  Some examples included the weather (depending on the day), midterms/finals, and or a specific sports team.  At times, we also called out slow walkers on campus and even John Devecka who never fixed the servers in time when we broke them due to the listeners we had tuned in across the world!  I kid. 

Q: Who is your favorite artist now? 

A: At heart, I am a big progressive rock/metal fan, so some artists include Haken and Dream Theater, however at this moment, I have been on a huge Van Halen kick due to reading a biography about Eddie.  I also have been listening to The Doors, since I am in a cover band for them alongside my brother (check us out at @Thought.trap on IG but our alter-ego name is The Doormongers).  As you can tell, I have a very eclectic taste in music.

Q: What do you do for work? Did your experiences at WLOY transfer into your work? 

A: I have about 8+ years of higher education experience spanning from career services, to admissions as well as a brief stint in corporate as a campus recruiter.  Currently, I am a Career Advisor at Montclair State University where I assist students in their career and professional development journeys.  

I want to preface my answer by saying that I have always had an affinity for doing radio, from an early age and this love truly burgeoned when Anthony and I synced up behind the mics during our demo.  We always knew we had chemistry but it just ‘clicked’ which truly helped with not only our success at the time with the show, but also our confidence.  This being said, my experience speaking to Anthony, as well as the various guests we had come on the show, only further enhanced and polished my public speaking skills.  In turn, I have been asked to emcee events and take the lead on introducing guest speakers at various engagements.  I also was asked to emcee my college’s convocation ceremony a couple of years ago, and this definitely is a testament to the public speaking skills I gained behind the mic at WLOY.

In addition to public speaking, I also want to take a moment to highlight how my time at WLOY encouraged me to think collaboratively with others across campus.  As mentioned, we had numerous guest speakers, from Anthony’s brother, Ryan (class of 14’ and 23’), to various campus ministry administrators, and friends.  This collaborative spirit trickled into my professional career when I helped launch and create a career services podcast at Montclair State University called, ‘Manual or Automatic: What Gears Are Driving Your Career’, which is student-edited and produced as a part of a class.  I am fortunate enough to co-host this with my mentor, Adam Mayer, and over the years we’ve presented the show and how we launched it to various professional higher education organizations and colleges.

Q: Tell us your favorite WLOY memory. 

A: My favorite part of the week for the entire senior year was when we would do the show at WLOY.  An hour would fly by filled with tunes, top ten lists, witty wrestling banter, and telling something to ‘know its role’ while attempting to monitor the live chat, as well as our Facebook pages (Instagram was just becoming a booming app, #yikes).  Although my favorite memories were when we had a guest speaker on the show, or doing the alumni show during our 5-year milestone, and calling out John from the back while comparing him to Darth Vader [ed – John still has the t-shirt], my favorite memory was when Anthony and I did all of our shoutouts for the loyal fans.  We would not be here today (or at that time) without the support of our family, friends, campus mentors, and student peers.  At the end of every show we always dedicated time to give these shoutouts and it’s safe to say it would leave Anthony and I with a permanent smile from cheek to cheek.

Q: One piece of advice for current students looking to enter the broadcast/entertainment industry:  

A: It’s hard for me to say whether to enter the field or not since I am currently not in the industry, however, what I can safely say is that no idea is stupid, silly, or simply not worth it.  If you have an idea for a podcast, show, book, or whatever it may be, pursue it!  I also would say, lean into your alumni network to support your ambitions.  Networking is not only the number one job search tool, but also a vehicle for learning how we can all support each other in our endeavors.  Lastly, be your authentic self and do not operate under what others will think or say.  Surround yourself with those who will support you and your ideas.