St. John’s University is the reason I have this dream job,” says
Danielle Monaro ’95SVC, Z100 radio disc jockey and St. John’s
University alumna.
While a student in St. John’s College of Professional Studies
studying communications,
Danielle says her interest in radio was instantly sparked when she
was asked to join the University’s radio station, WSJU, and become
a radio host: “I was in the elevator and a girl asked me if I
wanted to be on air. Ever since then radio has been my passion.” It
was Danielle’s vibrant personality and dedication to whatever task
she was assigned that helped this self-proclaimed “tough chick from
the Bronx” make it from student to co-host.
Danielle got her big break in the media industry when she
received an internship at “New York’s Hit Music Station” Z100: “I
got my internship at Z100 with the help
of another student studying radio at St. John's. I took
radio courses and worked at WSJU and it all helped me learn about
the industry and what to expect once I graduated.”
Danielle believes the key to success in the media industry is to
seek out internships while students are in college: “Interning
gives you hands on experience and insight into whether or not it's
something that you actually want to continue doing.”
There were two professors in the communications department that
Danielle says made a huge impact in her life, Lawrence Pitili and
Antoinette Durso: “I owe a lot of my success to my professors and
experiences at St. John’s. I learned so much from my professors
including how to speak and communicate effectively - two very
important aspects of this industry.”