By Kendall L. Jackson Jr. (Loyola 23’)
Loyola Alum and former WLUW radio host Paul Quinn is back on campus, now with a new role as the Technology Coordinator of the School of Communication.
Around the Water Tower Campus, Paul Quinn is mostly known for his big contributions to WLUW, the school’s independent radio station. Quinn hosted a weekly radio show throughout his entire college career and increasingly got more involved, becoming programming director and then the operations manager for the station as he got through his postgraduate degree.
Just over a year after his Master’s graduation, Quinn has returned. Except for this time, he’s not hosting a radio show, and he’s not a student.
As Technology Coordinator, Quinn will be overseeing the daily operations of the OWL Lab, repairing and checking equipment in and out, as well as being a resource for students who may need advice or assistance on the projects they are working on for their production classes.
“It is definitely different, kind of nostalgic,” Quinn said. “To me, the only weird thing is being on campus and not having to go to class.”
Quinn started attending classes at Loyola University Chicago in the Fall of 2014, then as an undergraduate student studying Marketing and Sports Management. It was rocky at first as he adjusted to the college lifestyle, but he found his footing, joining WLUW that Spring.
Later on in his undergrad, Quinn got a job working on the grounds crew for the Chicago Cubs and even got a World Series ring in 2016. Two years later, he witnessed even more success as he got to watch the Loyola Men’s basketball team reach the Sweet 16 of March Madness his senior year. Through WLUW he also got an internship producing a morning radio show at Vocalo Radio.
“Though it was a challenging adjustment to start, I wouldn’t change anything from my undergraduate experience. Overall, a really great time as a student at Loyola.”
After finishing his undergraduate degree in the Spring of 2018, Quinn wanted to learn more. He had grown an interest in more creative production projects through WLUW, so he decided to enroll in the School of Communication’s Digital Media and Storytelling Master’s program to build that skill set.
“I figured: what is two more years of college and not working,” Quinn said. “In a way, it felt like I was just still going to school.”
Quinn spent the next two years continuing to entertain the masses at WLUW, and got the education he sought after through the graduate program. His wide skill set and the pandemic, however, made it hard for him to find exactly what he wanted to do after graduation. Quinn even considered further continuing his education to go into the field itself.
“I Didn’t feel safe getting a job without being vaccinated,” Quinn said. “With a few different degrees behind me, there were multiple different paths I could have gone down. For instance, I was looking at schools to obtain a teaching license to become a high school teacher.”
No concrete decision was made, and Quinn enjoyed the rest of his lease in Chicago before moving back home to Milwaukee to save up some money. Once he got vaccinated, Quinn started bartending while casually looking for jobs that were more in his area of expertise.
Eventually, he found the job listing for the OWL Lab while checking on another application he had sent to Loyola. Actually, this was his second time applying for the position as he had also applied earlier in his graduate degree.
“I figured I should apply again,” Quinn said. “With knowing more about the equipment available in the lab and now having a better understanding of production skills, I figured I would be a good fit for the position.”
This time, he got the job, and Paul Quinn has a new hat at Loyola Chicago. Now just over a month into the position, he’s having a good time.
“Overall, I’ve really enjoyed this first month back on campus and looking forward to continuing growing more into the position,” Quinn said.
