Taking a leap of faith: Emmy Vitali's senior column

As I reminisce on my journey with CommRadio, I am reminded of the phrase, “Every great adventure begins with a leap of faith.”

Back in 2020 amid a global pandemic, along with not having any closure from high school, I found myself navigating the same uncertainty at Penn State as many of my peers.

Heading into Penn State, I had decided to join the Air Force ROTC program. While I had made some friends in my dorm living with other cadets, I knew deep down that this wasn’t truly the career path I wanted to pursue in life. In October 2020, I decided to exit the program and, once again, I had to start making friends from scratch.

But as an introvert, making friends and stepping out of my comfort zone is a difficult task for me, especially on lockdown. That long-term sense of loneliness made me question whether Penn State was really the “amazing school” everyone said it was and if I’d ever find my place here. I debated whether I should even stay at Penn State, or consider transferring altogether.

But in January of 2021 of my freshman year, an email from Bob Martin about CommRadio’s Interest Meeting changed everything. I initially skimmed over it, not thinking I’d fit into the station because I didn’t have any of the same career aspirations. I was unlike the rest of the new members on that Zoom call; I never wanted to be a play-by-play broadcaster, talk show host, newscaster or writer.

Despite my doubts, I decided to take a leap of faith and join the Interest Meeting Zoom call from the comfort of my childhood bedroom in Kennebunkport, Maine, wondering if there was a place for me. At first, I watched as rectangle boxes popped up of unfamiliar names that many of us know today as well-known CommRadio figures–Josh Starr, Joe Skinner, Jake Starr, Preston Shoemaker, Andrew Destin and Andre Magaro.

And then came Kyle Cannillo, whose introduction intrigued me as he talked about his role as the Social Media Director. As a naturally creative and artistic person I was as a child, my ears perked. I didn’t have any experience in this, but I decided to reach out to him after the meeting anyway, unaware of the profound impact this one decision would have on my journey today.

After a lengthy conversation that night, Kyle had already helped me find every reason to stay at Penn State, with CommRadio sitting on the very top of that list.

Once we returned to campus in mid-February, Kyle decided to take me under his wing and quickly mentored me in all facets of his role as a Social Media Director. He taught me about properly writing captions, clipping calls of the game, and learning Adobe Photoshop for the first time, among other responsibilities. I quickly realized I wanted to be in his shoes one day.

Before I knew it, I found myself earning a role a few months later in the management staff as a Social Media Director. I was determined to carve out my own legacy with CommRadio and inspire others as he did for me.

And during the next few years, I did just that.

• Alongside two other photographers, Alysa Rubin and Daniel Hadar, we established a photography department and witnessed its growth from three members to 30+ talented members in almost three years.

• I poured hours and hours into creating graphics promoting station broadcasts. Those included Penn State football games, Penn State THON, the Super Bowl, the NFL Draft, the Emmy Awards, the Oscars, and so many more.

• I helped amplify the station’s voice and showcase the incredible work of our members at CommRadio. From the “Talk Show Spotlights” to “Calls of the Game” to “CommRadio to Careers” to the “Member Monday.”

• I was lucky enough to photograph multiple Penn State events, including the Penn State White Out with my co-director Abby Kachur, who has become one of my most trusted friends at Penn State.

All of those personal highlights aside, the best part of my CommRadio experience has been in the genuine relationships that I’ve formed since I first joined in 2021. I have been fortunate enough to gain friends who continue to inspire me creatively including my co-directors Abby, Alisha and Alysa in addition to Colin Kurcoba, Nick Patterson, Daniel Hadar and so many more.

Not to mention, joining CommRadio gave me my now significant other, Kyle, the person who saw my potential, believed in me and helped me grow in the first place.

CommRadio has become more than just a college radio station. It’s become a place where I can explore my interests and make lifelong connections with like-minded people. When I reached out after that Interest Meeting despite not thinking my interests wouldn’t “fit in”, I never would have imagined the profound impact one simple decision would have on my personal and professional life.

Now, I am more than lucky to be taking all of the lessons, skills and experiences I had with CommRadio and translating them into a full-time career in just over a month.

If my time at CommRadio has taught me anything, it’s the lesson of taking a leap of faith into the unknown. While it sounds easier said than done, it can ultimately lead to a great adventure filled with meaningful opportunities and friendships.

And who knows...it may even help you find a passion you never knew you had.

Thank you CommRadio, for everything.

Emmy Vitali is a fourth-year telecommunications and media industries major. To contact her, email eav5153@psu.edu.