In a mostly male-dominated industry, SUNY Oswego’s female broadcasting students are taking over – thanks to an all-women, student team that includes 21-year-old Jolie Santiago, from New City.

“Everyone had a position,” Santiago says. “I was co-producer. There were analysts, hosts. Everybody had a say and a role.”

The Rockland County native was part of the college’s first-ever “All-Women’s Broadcast” Feb. 2. for the SUNY Oswego men’s hockey game vs. SUNY Brockport.

“We started with making the rundown, getting the crew and talent together, assigning and delegating jobs. I’m really glad we could see women taking leadership roles in it,” Santiago says.

Santiago graduated from Clarkstown South High School in 2020 and is now a college senior pursing a degree in broadcasting and mass communication.

"The faculty of the Department of Communication Studies are incredibly proud of the work that our students are doing on our campus," says SUNY Oswego spokesperson Jessica Reeher. "This student-led broadcast demonstrates the passion and commitment of our students toward honing their craft and making a space for women in sports reporting and producing. The students presented and developed the idea, worked together to plan the broadcast and executed it expertly. It's exactly what we hope for as their faculty: that they take their ideas and develop them to fruition. It's an exciting time for student media on our campus, and I look forward to the next adventures of WTOP and our students."

She’s had a few female mentors along the way, including News 12’s Blaise Gomez.

“Senior year of high school, I was able to shadow you, and that was my first true experience of me realizing this is for me,” says Santiago.

Santiago says the historic broadcast was a huge success, and the college station WTOP 10 plans to make it happen again for future classes.

“Women can do it,” says Santiago. “Don’t count them out of anything.”