Alumni Spotlight: Joelle Hernandez (2014)

May 9th, 2023 by Charlie Wahlberg


Joelle Hernandez graduated from Loyola in 2014 and went on to use skills she learned from her experiences at the station in her current career. Joelle gives us a look into her time at WLOY and shares her advice for current Loyola students!

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your show on WLOY?

A: I hosted a show with my twin sister, Jordan, called Double Dose of Entertainment! It aired on Friday evenings from 7-9 PM. We played R&B and Hip-Hop music and talked about entertainment/celebrity news.

Q: What was your show’s top-played artist?

A: Beyonce & Rihanna! Lots of Ciara and Sevyn Streeter were thrown in as well.

Q: And your current favorite artist?

A: Beyonce 

Q: What do you do for work now?

A: Right now, I am an Account Manager on the Business Development Team at Dotdash Meredith, which is a print and digital publishing company (parent company of People, InStyle, SHAPE, Southern Living, Better Home & Gardens, etc). 

Q: Did any of your experiences and skills from WLOY transfer into your work? 

A: My skills from WLOY definitely transfer to my current role! Speaking with different clients and colleagues across departments is very similar to chatting on the radio. Those communications skills have been invaluable even nine years after graduation. Additionally, as one of the station’s first R&B and Hip-Hop shows, I needed to pave my way and decide what I wanted to do with the show. Similarly, I am working on rebuilding our travel partnerships at work after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. It’s now up to me to shape these partnerships in a way that makes sense for me and the company simultaneously. The confidence I have from WLOY certainly carries through! 

Q: Tell us about your favorite WLOY memory.

A: Oh my gosh, there are so many! I would have to say one of my favorites was doing in-person interviews. We were able to get in contact with a local music promoter and he would bring in some of his up-and-coming artists. We did an interview with Kat Dahlia that was a huge hit with our listeners. Understanding some of the logistics of scheduling artist interviews and handling talent is another skill that I used in my previous role at Mediaplanet Publishing before moving over to Dotdash Meredith. 

Q: What’s one piece of advice you would share with current Loyola students?

A: Be yourself! It will get you so much further than being anything or anyone else you think people want you to be. I would also say to have ambitious patience. Be ambitious in all that you do–push the envelope and go after what you want, but also understand that this is one of the least predictable industries there is and things may not happen in the way you think. The road can be incredibly unstable, but once you think you have lost your footing is usually the moment you find it. Trust the process! Everything that is meant for you will find you. 




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