By Elandra Fernandez
There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise to the top, and Jessica Schiano could easily identify with that type of woman.
With hard work and dedication, Jessica Schiano knew she would find herself working in radio. She currently works for Cumulus Media on 92 PRO-FM in Providence and Q016 in Columbia, Missouri.
She got her start in radio through a close friend. When she began college, she wanted to pursue a career in television but missed the sign up for an internship. That served as the first omen that she needed a different career, the second occurred when her friend in class asked, “would she rather work for 92 PRO-FM instead?” After two interviews for the internship, she was selected and did everything you can think of in radio. From promotions to hanging roll banners, cleaning the station’s grill, and counting the number balloons in the street machine van. Jessica always wanted to be on the radio but for her, it took a long time.
Jessica Schiano didn’t let any negative comments or feedback stop her from doing what she loves. One day, the former general manager, told her she sounded "unpleasant" on the radio, she asked how she could fix it and he told her, " I don’t know, you just do." From that moment, she decided she was going to prove him wrong. After working hard and proving herself, she was hired to do full-time promotions in Providence and a segment for Coast 93.3 on Thursday’s. That was the big break she needed.
Schiano would describe herself as silly, sarcastic and fun. She might be forty and fabulous, but if you were to throw a beer pong table in front of her, she would be ready to play. She loves doing work with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the American Stroke Association. Jessica tries not to stress about things and is very happy with what she has and where she is. She doesn’t take anything for granted.
When asked, what’s the best thing about being in radio, she replied, “the chance to talk to people all day, I try to keep it all positive, there’s plenty of negativity in the world, with me you can listen to the hits. I go to work with the goal of making at least one person smile during my shift."
The people that impacted Jessica most in her career are three people: Chris Eagan, Bill Hess, and Davey Morris. They helped her perfect her craft.
For those who would like to work in the particular field, Schiano says, “don’t give up. If it’s something you really want to do, and you believe in yourself, it can happen.”