Nobody hands over a mic and crowns someone a storyteller. At least, that’s how longtime WFAN personality Steve Somers sees it, his decades behind the broadcast desk distilled into one simple truth: “You have to feel it, and be it.”

Born in San Francisco but destined for New York, Somers started out talking on air about high school sports reports, but knew he wanted more. Making his way to the big leagues of radio and eventually covering the actual big leagues, Somers was able to share the wisdom of his career journey with William Paterson students. 

On Nov. 21, at Marymount Manhattan College in New York, students interested in sports writing and media careers had the chance to mingle with the iconic radio host, ask questions, and start thinking creatively. 

The event was hosted by Dr. Nick Hirshon,  a journalism professor at William Paterson University, who invited various students to attend through Student News Live. SNL is an organization that connects high school and college journalists with access to high-profile newsmakers and events. Students from high schools and universities across the metropolitan area attended. 

From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Somers spoke to the intimate crowd of professors, students, and excited parents, explaining the highs and lows of his legacy. 

Somers opened with a reminder that ambition starts internally: the spark to broadcast, write, engineer sound, or chase any creative lane has to come from within, long before the world validates it. 

He painted the image of his younger self at home: “on the TV, I’d turn the sound down and be talking into the lightbulb like a microphone, so I felt it, and wanted to be it.” 

This hit the crowd hard, for Audrey Taveras, senior at the High School for Media and Communications in Manhattan, who said that Somers’ words forced her to acknowledge “that this is the right path, even though it may not be a super steady type of career, and it is a challenging career to break into, at the end of the day, the risk is worth it.”

Alongside her was Brendin Fernandez, senior, who piggybacked off of Taveras to say that Somers’ advice on “getting adjusted to failure” really stuck with him. 

Somers made it clear within the first couple of questions that journalism can be “fickle and precarious,” mentioning the thought of 40 hard-working people he knows being laid off. This highlights that setbacks are common, encouraging students to feel hopeful and resilient despite the challenges they will face. 

Nevertheless, Somers emphasized that “nobody has to tell you if you’re good enough, you’ll feel it. And the next day, you’ll want to be better,” he said to the crowd, explaining that that is what makes it a “self-rewarding field.” 

On top of that, Somers was a significant source of inspiration for William Paterson students, specifically sophomore Matthew Goldman and juniors Daniel Karp and AJ Tierney. 

Karp had prefaced that a moment that hit him the hardest was Somers saying to “‘ keep trying, you are gonna make it, ‘ you know, you hear that a lot but coming from a legend like Steve Somers and in the industry for so long, coming from him it is different than hearing it from other people,” said Karp. 

Karp says that his fears about the sports media industry were reframed by Somers’ honesty, saying that “you have to be humble in the industry. Keep your foot down, keep your chin up, and keep trying.” Somers was encouraging students to value humility and see it as a strength in their growth. 

On the other hand, being rejected, for Goldman, can feel like a shot to the chest, breaking down the walls of his ‘ego’. Asking Goldman the same question, he told me that he “stays up many nights thinking about my future working in the media. Steve mentioned he was told no plenty of times, and that is something I have a tough time understanding. My ego is very high, and once I hear no, it kinda shoots me down a little bit.” 

However, this event taught him, “you are going to have to hear no in this industry, one way or another.” 

Somers was able to articulate that rejection is key to getting into the industry. 

“There was always some self-doubt. Maybe it has to do with not having the most self-esteem, personally. And yet, I’ve had a long career, 17 years of it, with television, starting when I was about 19,” Somers said, illustrating that solidity and persistence can lead to long-term success despite setbacks, which reassured aspiring students about their career stability.

Somers illuminated the fact that anyone can succeed if they are persistent, advising students to “call places where you would like to work, and find out how you can get started. And don’t take no for an answer,” providing clear, actionable steps to inspire students to take initiative. 

Nonetheless, as the industry is evolving in all aspects, it is crucial to stay true to yourself while also knowing when to “reinvent yourself,” said junior AJ Tierney. 

Tierney spoke on Somers’ advice, reshaping his mindset about his future: he should not try to combat change but to morph with it. In today’s world, everything around us is changing rapidly; learning to change with it and adapt is a powerful tool in any field. 

Moving forward, both Karp and Goldman emphasized that their next steps include reaching out more and putting themselves out there as often as needed, and applying for internships with SiriusXM, ESPN Radio, and more. 

As for AJ Tierney, he said he will continue his hustle and focus on what is ahead. 

After speaking with everyone and answering the crowd’s questions, Somers went on to sign copies of his book “Me Here, You There”: a vulnerable memoir that reflects on his life as a small-town kid in San Francisco with big dreams of making it to the Big Apple.

Parents who attended the event were nothing short of grateful to meet a legend. Across the room were smiles from ear to ear as parents spoke about nights spent waiting to hear Somers on the radio; fast-forward, and they were now finally waiting to shake his hand.

Overall, Ramata Diakite, a senior from the High School for Media and Communications, summed up Somers’ lessons perfectly, saying, “don’t let anything stop you, no matter what.”