Communiqué
WOUB Senior Spotlight: Olivia Roman
< < Back toBy Kae Walther
ATHENS, OH – When Olivia Roman came to Athens from Hudson Valley, New York, she knew she wanted to study journalism news and information. Now, as she prepares to graduate from Ohio University in May, she knows exactly what she wants to do with that degree.
Roman, who also has a specialization in stage management for theater and marketing, has been involved at WOUB Public Media since spring semester of 2021. Because of the pandemic, there were fewer students working in the WOUB newsroom at the time. “That’s how I met a lot of my other classmates,” she says. Originally starting as an MMJ (multimedia journalist) and anchor for WOUB TV’s NewsWatch, Roman is extremely grateful for her time as a producer because it is now what she wants to pursue.
“In the beginning, I was an anchor as well as an MMJ, so I would produce only two news stories a week,” she recalls, “But then I did the summer internship at WOUB with a lot of my other classmates and thought to myself, ‘I want to see what is happening behind the camera.’” After getting the opportunity to shadow fellow student Claire Schiopota as a producer, Roman fell in love with the position and has been producing ever since. Roman said the summer internship opportunity was very valuable. “It was such a bonding experience.”
Now, Roman is searching for her first job and says she is prepared to move wherever she finds the right fit.
“I really have no clue where the wind is going to take me!” Roman is very adept at traveling, as she moved from New York to Ohio then studied abroad in Denmark.
Outside of WOUB, Roman said her favorite times at Ohio University were while living in the dorms as an underclassman. She says that it was a very communal environment, and there was always something happening around campus.
Roman loves to ski and enjoys volleyball. She plays volleyball on intramural teams. She also says, “I always have my AirPods to listen to music. That’s literally my whole life.”
Roman offers this advice to underclassmen. “Do not be afraid to put yourself out there.” She says that she understands, now, how intimidating and scary that can feel, as well. “You just need to get yourself out there and keep doing activities,” she says, “Even just going to the library or walking around college green; you’ll meet a good group of friends, I’m sure.”