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Tells of a College Journey that was Informative, Interesting and Inspiring

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville mass communications major Oliver Brammeier is receiving his bachelor’s degree during SIUE’s spring commencement exercises. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., Brammeier now lives in Edwardsville. As he is interested in creating content of his own and telling stories that resonate with people, Brammeier is looking forward to a career in radio broadcasting, film making or a related field. Here he shares his reflections on his upcoming commencement, in his own words. 

I’ve enjoyed all the people I’ve met during my time at SIUE, from my classmates to colleagues at WSIE Radio Station. The experience I’ve gained working in audio and video production classes, with so many fun people, has been the most positive reward of my education. 

Being able to create my own projects – whether they’re videos, short films, or audio recordings – has been entertaining and truly valuable for my career going forward. Even after completing my required production courses for my degree, I continue to collaborate and work with others on their projects, because I know so many people in the program and enjoy working with them to create something new. 

Additionally, the volunteer work I’ve done at WSIE has been another awesome experience. I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of amazing people, get my own on-air experience, and run the control board during Cougars basketball games. I also got to participate in an internship program at WSIE where I learned a lot about how a station operates, how to input various station programming, and assist with various tasks that needed to be done. One of the more memorable times was working as a producer to run the control board for ‘SIUE Beat,’ the show hosted by College of Arts and Sciences Dean Kevin Leonard. Also, through the tremendous assistance of WSIE General Manager Jason Church and WSIE Associate Director for Corporate Support Robin Boyce, I gained valuable knowledge that I’ll take with me throughout my career. 

During my time at SIUE, I worked in other capacities. I have had several food-service jobs at Papa Murphy’s and McAllister’s in Edwardsville, both during the school year and in the summer. Balancing work and classes helped me develop much better time management skills. Going back and forth with classes, work, and assignments made me schedule my tasks more effectively and efficiently. 

During my college career, there were certain times I was challenged with new assignments, and it made me question whether I could confidently complete them. Sometimes I would feel overwhelmed about something I hadn’t done before and would get discouraged. However, by going through the learning process and making mistakes, I knew I could continue moving forward while gaining the confidence needed to help me succeed. 

I want to tell incoming freshmen to take advantage of everything that SIUE has to offer. Whether it’s joining organizations, attending campus events, or connecting with classmates and professors, there are plenty of opportunities to grow both academically and socially. I would also encourage everyone when it comes to academics to talk to classmates around them as well as their teachers. Studying/working with others can be a great way to better your understanding of schoolwork. Reaching out to instructors is something new students should take full advantage. SIUE has always been consistent for me in having instructors who are available before and after class to address any questions or concerns I might have. 

I would also urge new students to find a good balance with all their responsibilities, including knowing your limits and giving yourself time to unwind to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed. From talking to my friends and through my own experiences, I’ve found that pushing yourself too much on a constant basis puts you at a disadvantage and leaves you unmotivated going forward. 

With my degree, I hope to continue working in media, with radio being a preferred. My experience at WSIE has been very helpful, providing me with a great firsthand look at the day-to-day operations of a radio station. I’ve enjoyed contributing and completing various tasks and feel that I have gained a lot of knowledge that will help me in a professional setting. I’ve learned a lot through my experience on the air and have grown my voice a lot over the years. I’m looking to apply my media production skills and continue working in an environment where I feel comfortable and capable in a variety of roles. I feel that the audio and video editing experience I’ve gained at SIUE will help me be successful working in media. 

PHOTO:  Oliver Brammeier, 2025 bachelor’s degree candidate in mass communications