Media Summit encourages students to carve their own paths

As the Hewitt Hall ballroom’s doors opened for the 22nd annual Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit on Oct. 22, students entered the room filled with big ambition and post-grad nerves.

The Summit, themed “Carving Your Own Path,” brought together media professionals and alumni together and featured live audience polls captured students’ feelings. While nearly half voted that they hoped to be employed within five years, over 40 percent voted that they feared the unknown and 30 percent worried about how the rise of artificial intelligence might impact their future careers.

Orchestrated by student co-directors Alexis Primerano and Sophia Sakalis, the event brought together industry leaders, veteran creators and recent Oswego alumni to remind students that professional journeys are not linear.

The event was moderated by 2019 alumna NBC 10 WJAR journalist Abigail “Abbey” Buttacavoli, who served as the student director of Oswego’s Media Summit as a senior broadcasting and mass communication major in 2018. With her help, the keynote panel dove into the messy reality of breaking into the media industry. Buttacavoli encouraged students to take leaps despite the hesitations they may feel.

“Opportunities arise, and as we’ve seen a lot of our faculty say, ‘You’ve got to do it a little bit scared, and you’ve got to take the risk and find out what suits you best,’” she said.

That message hit a sweet spot for panelist and 1995 alumnus Andrew Miano, a film producer whose credits include pieces such as "The Farewell" and "A Single Man." Miano recalled his start in the mailroom at William Morris Agency, and emphasized that human connection remains important.

“It is still a social business,” Miano said. “It is still a social world… the ability to look people in the eyes and have a conversation.”

Author, podcast host and TV presenter Ryan Sprague discussed the importance of persistence. The 2006 graduate majored in theater during his time at Oswego and later went on to launch his top-charting podcast known as "Somewhere in the Skies." Sprague shared that he launched the podcast from the closet of his Queens apartment.

“Everyone has a story to tell, no matter what it is,” Sprague said. “It’s not the thousands of rejections; when it finally happens, that's what you remember.”

To address the rise of generative technology, OpenAI developer and veteran TV news producer Evan Hirsch shared some knowledge. He said AI should be seen as a helpful tool rather than a threat.

“AI should make journalism more human, not less,” Hirsch said. He described it as a “force multiplier” tool that offloads routine tasks so that media professionals can focus their time on deeper storytelling.

Once the panel wrapped up, the event shifted to a more intimate networking session with recent alumni known as Career Connectors. This setup created a supportive bridge where current students were able to ask honest questions and receive relatable advice from alumni who recently navigated the same transition.

The four visiting Career Connectors: Boni Quatroche, Brian Rudman, Alison Rushanova and Geoffrey “Geoff” Shumer all offered invaluable guidance.

Shumer, a 2018 graduate and associate director of digital strategy at Pinckney Hugo Group, engaged directly with students on how to navigate modern digital trends. All of the alumni emphasized the power of taking full advantage of campus life and everything SUNY Oswego could offer.

Quatroche, a client services specialist at Cambridge Innovation Institute and 2019 graduate, was very involved at Oswego, including serving as co-director with Buttacavoli of the Media Summit in 2018.

“You can squeeze every drop of opportunity out of participating in anything on campus,” Quatroche said, explaining how student involvement can translate into career success.

WTEN-TV sports reporter Rudman — who earned a bachelor's degree in 2021 and master's in 2022 — also added some comforting words for current seniors: “Take a step back… realize it's all gonna be okay, because it’ll eventually work out.”

As Media Summit founder and 1977 graduate Lou Borrelli reflected on 22 years of student-driven success, the event proved that while tools continue to evolve, authentic human connections remain the heart of carving a path in the media industry.

“Doc O'Donnell's vision was very simple,” Borrelli said. “It doesn't matter what you have in front of you. It's what you have within you – and the creativity, the drive, the desire to be excellent. That's all that he would coach us on … The only thing I ask of you is actually two things: Number one, get involved in as many things as you can. And secondly, after you graduate and you're successful, come back because that is where the payoff is.”

— Written by Madison Reeves of the Class of 2027 for University Advancement