The Impact of NPR’s College Podcast Challenge: Transforming Lives and Careers
In the realm of storytelling, NPR’s College Podcast Challenge has become a pivotal moment for many aspiring creators. Participants have discovered new career paths, reconnected with family histories, and deepened their understanding of their cultural roots. This article explores the transformative journeys of several past contestants whose lives have been touched by the challenge.
The Power of Winning
During the pandemic, college student Anya Steinberg received a life-changing call from NPR education reporter Sequoia Carrillo. Steinberg had won the 2021 College Podcast Challenge with her podcast titled, “He’s Just 23 Chromosomes.” This achievement led her to her first job in radio at KNKX in Seattle. Today, Steinberg is a freelance journalist and continues to work on projects, including the next season of “Inheriting” from LAist and NPR.
Reconnecting with Family
Miriam Colvin, a freshman at Penn State University, won the inaugural College Podcast Challenge in 2021. Her podcast explored family lore involving a boxing match with a young Muhammad Ali. The experience encouraged her to pursue stand-up comedy and playwriting. Colvin finds inspiration in her grandparents’ stories and believes, “These stories remind me we need to be out living, doing adventurous stuff with our loved ones, with our friends.”
Bunmi Omisore’s podcast, which received an honorable mention in 2025, documented her quest to learn Yoruba, her parents’ native language. After the podcast, Omisore became dedicated to learning Yoruba, which enabled her to understand her family’s stories more deeply. She reflects, “It humanized a woman that I had known that I had come from, but I hadn’t really been able to understand.”
A Step Closer to a Dream Career
Bennett Cook, a student at Buffalo State University, explored the musicality of subway trains in his podcast for the 2021 challenge. The recognition he received as a finalist bolstered his passion for transit, leading to a job with the Chicago Transit Authority. Cook dreams of a future where he can influence transit system expansions.
Jo Strogatz, a student at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, won the contest in 2024 with a story that included her original music and an interview with a friend who had never experienced a romantic relationship. The win paved the way for her current role at Radiolab. Strogatz expresses her gratitude, saying, “I can’t believe that I’m so lucky to have this opportunity to be at a place where I can do science and storytelling and learn from people every day.”
Edited by: Janet Woojeong Lee and Nirvi Shah
