MEDIA, Pa. — Two years after graduating, Hunter Strafaci is using his experiences from Brandywine to fulfill his dream of being a sports broadcaster.
The 2022 graduate began his Penn State journey in 2020 after transferring from an out-of-state university, majoring in communications with the corporate communications option. He noted he was attracted to Brandywine because of its size and affordability.
“After coming from a very large school, I wanted to attend somewhere smaller and more intimate. I really liked how small the campus was,” he said. “Also, compared to my previous institution, it was very affordable. I was also offered the Discover Penn State scholarship as a transfer student, which helped me out a lot.”
During his last year at Brandywine, Strafaci landed an internship with Brandywine Athletics, where he assisted in play-by-play broadcasting for all home sports games. He noted that his first time on the air was his favorite memory he made in his college career.
“In September 2022, I was on air for the first time at a Brandywine soccer game. I had been preparing all summer to be on air — since I started my internship with Brandywine Athletics in May. I had never broadcasted before, aside from doing podcasts here and there, but never anything live,” he recalled.
“I planned to shadow our previous announcer as he did the broadcast so I could learn the ropes, but he told me that I was going to be on air that day," Strafaci said. "I was thrown into the deep end, but I ended up loving it.”
Strafaci said he remembered during his time in college, he never knew what exactly he wanted to do with his communications degree once he graduated. His first time broadcasting for Brandywine Athletics was very fulfilling for him, as he notes how it helped him understand what he wanted to do career-wise.
Almost two years later, as an alumnus, Strafaci is the play-by-play commentator for Brandywine Athletics. In this role, he runs Brandywine Athletics Live, the department’s live streaming website, with play-by-play commentary at every home sports game. This includes volleyball and men's and women’s soccer in the fall, men's and women’s basketball in the winter, and baseball and softball in the spring.
“The job mostly consists of preparing notes on the players before the game, and during game time I use my notes to keep the broadcast going. A lot of it is thinking on the fly,” he said. “I also produce the broadcast now, so I’m responsible for the on-screen graphics, scoreboard, ticker and news.”
In addition to this, Strafaci also does post-game interviews with players at the end of each game to highlight the athletes who are considered “players of the game.” This means they contributed significantly to the team’s efforts in winning. These interviews get added to the live stream and social media pages.
Strafaci said he enjoys every part of his job, but he enjoys the creativity of it the most.
“I really enjoy getting to put my own spin on things during the broadcasts, and I also enjoy the mode I’m in when I’m on air. It’s almost like an adrenaline rush,” he said. “I grew up with a dream of being a voice actor — which is still something I’d be willing to do — so when I realized that broadcasting is adjacent to being a voice actor, it made me enjoy it even more. I get to be myself when I’m on air.”