Life-Changing Experiences: Reflections from Past College Podcast Challenge Winners

Mar Hernandez recounts how their career took off after winning NPR’s 2021 College Podcast Challenge during their final college days in Colorado Springs amid the pandemic. The victory led to a job at KNKX, an NPR station in Seattle. Now a freelance journalist, Hernandez reflects on their experiences and how other participants’ lives transformed.

Reconnecting with Family

Miriam Colvin was a freshman at Penn State in 2021 when she won the inaugural College Podcast Challenge. Her entry featured a family legend surrounding a boxing match involving Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali. The win gave her confidence to pursue stand-up comedy and playwriting. Colvin continually draws creative inspiration from family stories, such as her grandfather’s adventurous childhood in Indiana. These tales remind her of the importance of living life fully with loved ones. Over time, she sees herself in these stories despite the historical distance.

Bunmi Omisore sought to document her journey of learning Yoruba, her parents’ native language, earning an honorable mention in 2025. Her father exclusively spoke to her in Yoruba to aid her learning. A year of dedication transformed her understanding, allowing Omisore to connect deeply with her Nigerian roots. She recalls finally grasping her grandmother’s humor in Yoruba—something that had eluded her previously.

A Step Closer to a Dream Career

Bennett Cook, who prefers the title ‘transitologist,’ entered the 2021 competition with a podcast about the musical sounds of subway trains. Hearing music in subway machinery is rare, but Cook’s fascination led him to a career with the Chicago Transit Authority. Now a customer service assistant, he aims to one day operate trains and improve Chicago’s transit system with his ideas.

In 2024, Jo Strogatz, a student at Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, won the contest with original music and a poignant interview. Winning allowed her to secure a job at Radiolab. She credits the contest for her opportunity to merge science and storytelling in her daily work, learning from insightful colleagues.

Edited by: Janet Woojeong Lee and Nirvi Shah