Carving paths for the future of students at 22nd Media Summit

Media Professionals and Oswego graduates returned to campus Oct. 22 for the 22nd annual Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit, where students explored career challenges and the importance of creating their own paths in the industry.

The event, held in the Hewitt Hall Ballroom, featured a panel discussion beginning at 3 p.m. with the theme “Carving Your Own Path.” The summit brought together professionals from different areas of media to share their experiences and discuss the challenges facing the industry. 

The Media Summit was founded and sponsored by Lou Borrelli, a 1997 Oswego graduate and Al Roker, a 1976 graduate. Hosted each fall by the School of Communication, Media and the Arts, the event provides students with opportunities to hear from professionals, ask questions and connect with people working in different fields.  

This year’s panel featured Evan Hirsch, an OpenAI developer and former news producer with 20 years of experience, Ryan Sprague, a 2006 graduate who works as a podcaster, television host, author, public speaker and UFO researcher and Andrew Miano, a 1995 graduate and film producer. 

Abbey Buttacavoli, a 2019 graduate who works as a television news reporter and digital content producer for NBC 10 WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island, moderated the discussion. 

The panelist shared their professional experiences and discussed moments they felt stuck in their careers, offering students perspectives on navigating an industry where career paths are not always predictable. 

Sophia Sakalis, one of the event directors, said the discussion was the most successful part of the day because it brought together different perspectives and allowed students to receive clarification on their questions. 

Students participated through an interactive format that incorporated technology into the discussion. For the first time, attendees scanned a QR code upon entering the event, allowing them to check in and submit questions for the panelists. 

Audience members also responded to poll questions, with the results displayed on a screen behind the panel. The format gave students additional opportunities to contribute to the conversation and introduced topics the panelists could discuss throughout the discussion. 

Sakalis said the event’s theme reflected the challenges facing students entering the media industry, particularly as independent media continues to grow and artificial intelligence changes the professional landscape. 

“Carving your own path through my eyes means doing work that rejects traditions, and undermining the voices that tell you your career ambitions are impossible because you’ll never compare to the voices already in our industry,” Sakalis said. 

She further explained that the theme was a good fit for the Media Summit because it connected with students across the School of Communication, Media and the Arts. 

The theme also addressed uncertainty surrounding the future of media, including the effects of artificial intelligence and the relocations of media outlets. Sakalis said the theme connected students’ career ambitions with the realities they may encounter as they enter the workforce. 

Before the panel, Borrelli, Buttacavoli, Career Connectors and Panelists visited classrooms in Hewitt and Tyler halls throughout the morning. The classroom visits gave students additional opportunities to hear from the guests and network with the professionals outside the main discussion. 

Planning the event required the student team to coordinate responsibilities while reconsidering the established practices according to Sakalis. The team introduced additional structure to the Media Summit while working behind the scenes to adjust elements of previous events. 

Sakalis, who served as an event director for the second consecutive year, said organizing the Media Summit “means contributing to our school’s past, present and future while also hoping to honor our department’s philosophy of learning by doing.” 

She also described the experience as an opportunity to help fellow students develop their skills in advertising, design and event direction. Working with an executive board whose members were new to planning the Media Summit made collaboration and mentorship key parts of the planning process. 

For Sakalis, the event also reflected the principle of noblesse oblige, which she described as helping others achieve their goals out of a genuine desire to support them. 

Following the panel discussion, the Media Summit continued with a Career Connector event in Hewitt Hall’s Collaborative Core. The event gave students opportunities to meet Oswego graduates who entered the workforce within the past five years, ask questions about their career paths and establish professional connections. 

The Career Connector participants included Alison Rushanova, a 2024 graduate and social media and marketing coordinator at 43 North, Boni Quatroche, a 2019 graduate and senior client service specialist at Cambridge Innovation Institute, Geoff Schumer, a 2018 graduate and associate director of digital strategy at Pickney Hugo Group in Rochester and Brian Rudman, a 2021 graduate and sports reporter at WTEN-TV. 

The networking event extended the Media Summit’s focus beyond the panel discussion by connecting students with alumni working in marketing, client services, digital strategy and sports reporting. 

A team of 13 students, advised by faculty member Tyler King, organized the event. Sakalis and Lexi Primerano served as event directors, while Jose Vazquez Nava and Faith Lewis led event production. 

Joe Seidman and Mike Neckers worked on the broadcast team, and Jonal Gonzalez and Jack Verdolino handled video production. The public relations and social media team included Addie Kotsol, Kelly See and Kinjal Gurung, while Mia Rizzi and Madison Vawter worked on graphic design. 

The student-led planning process allowed members to gain practical experience in coordinating an event that brought together students, faculty and media professionals. 

“Students learned that success has no linear order or set of rules,” Sakalis said. “While the Media Summit is a day of discussion and reflection, it will forever remain a day that brings our community closer together and provides us with resources and networking opportunities.” 

The 22nd annual Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit’s conversations and networking opportunities reinforced its central message: success does not follow one predetermined sequence, and students can build careers by exploring opportunities that align with their interests and goals.