WLMC Represents Landmark College and College Radio USA Board at The White House

Daniel Molster
October 21, 2022

Wow…. can you believe it? You’d never think that volunteering would have such a perk at the end of the event?! I am beyond words and beyond honored to have represented Landmark College and the College Radio Day USA Board today at The White House. Yes. THE White House. What an amazing day! As a background for those who don’t know, I have been serving as a College Radio Day USA Board Member since the Summer. My job was to support college radio stations with preparations, marketing, meetings, content distribution, and more to college radio stations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. I also worked with a close-knit group of Station Managers and Programming Directors from around the country on the CRD USA Board. We met weekly to discuss progress toward getting stations around the country prepared for the 12^th Annual World College Radio Day.

So, how did we end up at The White House? Let’s back it up to a few weeks ago, President Joe Biden’s administration released a letter of support for World College Radio Day the night prior to the event (October 6^th, 2022). You can see the letter in the story below. At that point, it seemed obvious we had The White House’s attention in regards to World College Radio Day 2022. We didn’t realize how obvious it was, not at all. On Monday (October 17^th) I received a call around 11 AM from the College Radio Foundation’s Director/Founder (Dr. Rob Quicke) letting me know the big news: we were all invited to Washington DC. Not just to Washington DC, but to The White House to meet with several key people from President Biden’s administration. When I was told this, I said I would go on just one condition: Eric Matte, WLMC Faculty Advisor and Professor of Communication has to be invited as well. That wasn’t originally the plan, but it worked out and I’m so grateful to have been able to have this amazing experience!

We heard from several key presenters during our visit including:

Nick Conger- Senior Climate Adviser
Sheila Nix- Chief of Staff, Department of Education
Vice President Kamala Harris (which was a total and complete surprise!)

This was a once in a lifetime experience, but I think to say that I could’ve made this happen on my own is unfair and untrue. To be perfectly honest, none of this would be possible without the support and dedication of my triple threat (he knows it!): advisor, supervisor, and faculty extraordinaire: Eric Matte. His passion for WLMC inspired me to go for the Station Manager role in 2020, and I am so happy, proud, honored to have been able to serve in this role especially given this very special opportunity is because of the work that I’ve done in my role at WLMC.

“I think the biggest takeaway from this experience is that student voices matter.”

VP Harris said it very well, student voice matters and we need to keep amplifying our voices. She also told us to find a career that gives us feeling, a sense of purpose, etc. These are fantastic pieces of advice to give anyone. It has been my pleasure and honor to represent Landmark College at The White House, thank you to the college’s administration who allowed Eric and I to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. I hope this story also gives you (the reader) that desire to reach for your goals, give it your best shot, and amplify your voice.