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Degree: B.A. Radio and Podcasting
Occupation: Broadcast systems engineer at Public Media Engineering
Experiential learning: Internship at Public Media Engineering
Campus involvement: 107.7 The Bronc, orientation leader, tour guide, Theta Chi
On-air with The Bronc
When Owen McCarron ’26 first saw 107.7 The Bronc, he knew he wanted to be part of the student-run station. Over the course of his time at Rider, he built up his skills to become the station’s student chief engineer while also building a presence as an on-air personality.
But his success didn’t come from nowhere. It was cultivated by John Mozes, general manager of 107.7 The Bronc and executive director of Rider’s Student Media Center. Mozes saw McCarron’s strengths and guided him toward the technical side of broadcasting.
“He explained to me, ‘There are people who don’t have the patience for this, and there are people who do, and you’re one of them,” McCarron says. “I took that very appreciatively, and I ran for it, and I honestly haven’t looked back since.”
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Interning with Public Media Engineering
With the broadcasting, problem-solving and technical skills he developed at 107.7 The Bronc, McCarron began an internship with Public Media Engineering. While he assumed his internship would be more about watching and learning, he was quickly proven wrong.
“By my third week, I was being taught how to actually build equipment that we’re surrounded by every day in the broadcasting world,” he says.
Upon graduation, McCarron moved to a full-time role at Public Media Engineering as a broadcast systems engineer, where he is helping to maintain and install broadcasting equipment for clients such as the Spanish Broadcasting System and MediaCo.
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Rider’s impact
The Bronc wasn't his only experience at Rider that helped McCarron get to where he is — he also served as an orientation leader, Admissions tour guide, Greek ambassador and leader in Theta Chi fraternity. This all helped him grow more confident in his abilities to connect with others, lead and take on new challenges.
“Rider really does just serve it all to you on a platter,” he says. “They give you the tools for success, and they say, ‘Take them.’ And when you take them, and get as involved as a lot of students on campus are, that’s really what helps you grow.”