By: Tiffany Boggs
Communication major Emma Redden (class of 2025) joined WGMU Radio during her freshman year at Mason and stayed involved all four years of her undergraduate career. Her popular Retro Rewind radio show featured music from the 1960s to the 1990s alongside trivia and background information about her favorite songs and artists. In addition to her role as DJ, Emma developed her leadership skills during her sophomore year when she was promoted to the role of program director, overseeing staff training, scheduling on-air content, and assisting the general manager with day-to-day operations. Redden also wrote album reviews for wgmuradio.com and worked behind-the-scenes to produce WGMU’s audio broadcasts of men’s and women’s basketball games (she even returned as an alumni in spring 2026 to assist with basketball production).
All that experience across different areas of radio paid off post-graduation when Redden landed a full-time job at Audacy, the second-largest radio company in the United States with over 200 million monthly listeners and 220 stations (including D.C.’s 106.7 The Fan).
Redden credits Student Media and WGMU as an important part of her life as a Mason student and a vital training ground that prepared her for career success in her chosen field: “WGMU gave me everything in terms of radio, not just on-air, but [also insight into] different revenues of radio to prepare me for this position. I was able to go in and say, ‘Hey, anything you need I can pretty much do.’”
In her current role as a sales assistant at Audacy, Redden is applying and extending the knowledge she gained at Student Media. In the D.C. market, where Audacy, Inc. owns six music and sports stations, Redden assists account executives with clients who purchased radio time, specialty programming, and audio commercials. “I help make sure that content is created that it’s put into the system correctly,” she said. Redden shared that, on occasion, she’ll get to work with on-air programming during live broadcasts and promotion to advertise the station. “So, I get to do a little bit of everything, which I love.”
Reflecting on her WGMU experience brought back fond memories for Redden, notably the station’s annual “Name That Song” event where students correctly guess the name of a song to win prizes. Redden recalls how in spring 2024, the team “put the pedals to the medals” to make sure that event was amplified across campus by passing out flyers around campus, advertising on Instagram, and even painting a pillar outside on Wilkins Plaza. Some of her proudest moments were when people came up to her afterwards saying that it was WGMU’s best event since COVID-19.
Redden is thankful for her time at Student Media and called it “the heartbeat of campus.” She misses being on-air at Mason but is proud of the legacy she left behind: “It is time for me to pass the baton to the new generation. It is now their time.”
Photos provided by: Emma Redden
Student Media is proud to announce that The Forge, Mason’s only sci-fi and fantasy magazine, won Third Place in the Best Magazine Cover category (Division I) at the 2026 CMA Apple Awards! Winners were announced on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at the Times Square Marriott Marquis in New York City during the final day of the College Media Association‘s Spring National College Media Convention.
First published in spring 2019, The Forge is a sci-fi and fantasy literary journal at George Mason University that publishes short stories, flash/micro fiction, poetry, and visual artwork focused on “all things speculative.” The Forge seeks to elevate original student works that explore the many realms of speculative fiction, such as imagining new, expansive worlds, exploring aspects of futuristic technologies, and investigating the variety of ways speculative fiction can educate as well as entertain.
Click here to read The Forge’s award-winning issue online >
According to CMA’s website: “Each year, the College Media Association hosts a series of prestigious contests designed to highlight the best in student journalism across print, broadcast, digital, and design. The David L. Adams Apple Awards recognize outstanding achievements as the “Best of Show” at the annual CMA Spring Conference held in New York City. Named in honor of David L. Adams, a dedicated and influential figure in the College Media Association and a longtime adviser at Indiana University, the awards commemorate his enduring legacy following his passing in 2007.”
This accolade comes on the heels of The Forge’s multiple wins at the 2025 Pinnacle Awards this past October…
Congratulations to the entire team on an amazing year!
By: Tiffany Boggs
From the time Student Media alumnus Zachary Hamilton (class of 2021) was a freshman in high school, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in sports broadcasting. Like most students aspiring to higher education, Hamilton searched for universities that could accommodate his determined career path. George Mason University was the answer he’d been looking for.
Student Media was the place Hamilton honed his sports broadcasting skills for five years as an undergraduate and graduate student, gaining hands-on experience and logging countless practicum hours in his chosen field to build a strong resume that would be attractive to future employers. Post-graduation, all that experience helped him land key internships and he is now a three-time Emmy Award-winning sports producer for Monumental Sports Network.
In his current role as a producer at Monumental, his portfolio includes pre- and post-show production and coverage of a host of Washington, D.C. home teams including the Capitals (NHL), Wizards (NBA), Mystics (WNBA), and Capital City Go-Go’s (NBA G League).
On July 10, 2025, Hamilton returned home to his alma mater to cover a live basketball game (Washington Mystics vs. Las Vegas Aces) at Mason’s Eagle Bank Arena in a “full-circle” career moment that inspired reflection on his experiences as an undergraduate and graduate student.
“It was great,” Hamilton said. “It really allowed me to learn behind-the-scenes and not just in front of the camera. Now that I’m working full-time behind the camera, you can definitely see where that transition helped me [get to] where I am today.”
Hamilton shared that he loved his time at Mason and recalled reaching out to Student Media’s Associated Director of Technology, David Carroll, to express his interest in doing play-by-play commentary before his freshman year even started. According to Carroll, Hamilton emailed him a month after graduating high school in July 2016 with tapes showcasing his skills calling athletic games.
Hamilton recalls asking Carroll how early he could start calling games at Mason and was told he could begin during his freshman year. Other universities he was considering wouldn’t allow him to start calling games on his own until sophomore or junior year, so Carroll’s answer was a welcome surprise.
“David right away saw potential in me and said, “can you actually come call two games before you even start class as a freshman?” I came up right away [because] I knew that Mason was where I wanted to be,” said Hamilton. “I felt like there was a lot of educational value at Mason, but also a lot of tangible experience I could get in my field.”
Under Carroll’s direction, Hamilton ended up calling several hundred games that aired live on ESPN+ as an on-air commentator for Student Media’s Sports Broadcasting Team. Hamilton completed his undergraduate studies in three years, earning a degree in Communication and Sports Broadcasting. He decided to stay at Mason to complete a Master’s degree as well, taking on numerous behind-the-scenes roles as a graduate assistant including on-air commentator, camera operator, technical director, and graphics operator.
After Hamilton received his Master’s degree in 2021, he stuck around the Mason community to mentor other students and help them land jobs. According to Carroll, “Zach was instrumental in helping [other students] grow as well. One of Zach’s skills is that he’s really good at is recruiting people.”
Now an award-winning professional, Hamilton spoke fondly about his time as a graduate assistant and intern, but noted that working in sports media is “not a typical 9-to-5 job” that may entail extended time away from family and friends or missing important events. That’s why he says it’s a “big deal” to build a community within the industry because the people he works with become a second family.
“I believe if you have talent, you should have that opportunity,” Hamilton said. “So I’m all about helping other people get to their journey as well.”
Photos provided by: Zach Hamilton