Akron radio listeners will now get to hear Kent State alumnus Jasen Sokol as he hosts his own mid-day segment “The Jasen Sokol Show” on 1590 WAKR.

“It’s still hitting me that it’s the Jasen Sokol Show,” Sokol said. “It’s definitely not something that I expected at the age of 25.”

“The Jasen Sokol Show” focuses on local and national news. Sokol said he’ll talk about the big news of the day or what’s currently getting people’s attention.

Sokol attended Kent State as a graduate student majoring in broadcast journalism and graduated in May 2013. As an undergrad, however, he said he didn’t expect to end up in media; Sokol said his undergraduate major was political science.

“I’ve always had an interest in politics and by extension I thought I’d just go to law school,” Sokol said. “As I got more into it, I realized that wasn’t for me.”

For his political science studies, Sokol attended Baldwin Wallace University. He said at Baldwin Wallace, everyone has to have a minor and since he had planned on attending law school, he decided he would “do something fun.” So he picked broadcast and mass communication.

Through his minor Sokol had to work for the college radio station, WBWC, and that’s where he said he “fell in love” with radio. On that station he said he presented news coverage, was a DJ and did just about anything he could to get involved.

After graduating from Baldwin Wallace in 2011, Sokol came to Kent State to pursue broadcast journalism for his graduate studies. When he wasn’t in class, he worked for TV2 as a weatherman. Doing weather was something he never expected to do, he said, but he wanted to have experience in all areas. Sokol eventually won third place as Best Weathercaster in the Broadcast Education Association competition.

Sokol went on to complete his graduate assistantship at WKSU before graduating in May 2013. He said he was told of a job opening at WAKR by JMC’s coordinator of career services, John Butte.

At WAKR, he’s done various jobs, Sokol said. He started off doing morning traffic reports and general news reporting, but by fall was doing high school football coverage with his co-host Aaron Coleman. By December, he said he was offered his own mid-day show. Ed Esposito, vice president of Rubber City Radio said Sokol was deserving of the position.

“We made a decision that we were so impressed with Jasen’s abilities and the quick grasp he’s had, not only with our systems but immediately being a productive member of our team,” Esposito said. “We certainly think he earned it.”

Sokol also offered encouragement and advice for students looking to get opportunities like this straight out of college. He said to start early, get involved as much as possible and make connections not only with professors, but with students too.

“Having those connections, even with people your own age, can be real important too,” Sokol said.

Contact Heather Inglis at [email protected].