Lansdowne’s Sean Spence, a 2020 Neumann University graduate, broke into the ranks of on-air talent at one the most popular radio stations in the region when he took over the WMMR airwaves in the early morning hours of October 24 and 25. 

 Spence, a communications and digital media major at Neumann, has been a loyal fan of the radio station since he was 12 years old. When he came to Neumann in 2016 with a career in radio as his goal, he took full advantage of his major and, by the end of his freshman year, had his own campus radio show.  

 Thanks to industry connections made through Neumann Media Director Sean McDonald, Spence was also acquiring hands-on learning at several WMMR events, including the Preston and Steve Camp Out for Hunger – an annual food drive that spans five days.  

 Throughout college, Spence continued to juggle his time between his studies and his work at WMMR. He jumped at the chance to do anything that the station needed – video streaming, remote engineering, and even helping to construct the station’s new studio.  

 At the same time, Joe Bonadonna, a Neumann professor and longtime on-air personality at WMMR, helped him create a DJ demo tape. 

 “This story starts when Sean was still a student of mine,” said Bonadonna. “He expressed his interest in being on air as his career. We spent many evenings going over his radio shows at Neumann and me coaching him to essentially be an awesome major-market air talent.” 

While he was a junior, Spence was hired by WMMR as a part-time remote engineer, and he stayed in that position after he graduated in May.  

 Months later, Spence’s persistence and Bonadonna’s mentoring paid off. The station’s program director asked Spence to fill in for Bonadonna while the veteran DJ was on vacation. Spence took to the airwaves on October 24 and 25, working from midnight to 6 a.m. 

 “It was crazy,” Spence recalls. “I remember thinking this is what I’ve been working for. I had been training and this was the goal. I always just wanted a chance”.