From the Mercy Newsroom:
Mercy University student Stephen Varley ’16 remembers being in the car with his dad the first time he heard SiriusXM satellite radio. The now 23 year-old remembers hearing Howard Stern and non-top 40 music. He remembers it sounding so unique and inspiring. He remembers that as the exact day he fell in love with radio.
After briefly studying film at the School of Visual Arts, Varley decided to go back to his roots and enroll in Mercy University. “My parents both attended Mercy,” he said. “They loved their time here and always talked about it to me [Dolores Varley ’04 and Stephen Varley 1986-1988]. I thought about all the wonderful memories they have of the College and so I decided it was my time to attend Mercy.”
Varley enrolled at Mercy University in the fall of 2011. Shortly after he began he got an email from Career Services about a trip to SiriusXM. Varley said he jumped at it and was the first one on the bus. “I was so impressed that Mercy had this kind of connection. I had chills being there! I met Robin Quivers from the Howard Stern Show,” he said. “I told the tour guide, who I later found out ran the intern program, that is was my dream to work at SiriusXM. A few weeks later I was officially an intern working on the music stations.”
More focused on his career, Varley said Mercy was a natural fit for him. “I wanted to go to a college where I was going to learn a lot, work really hard and then get working. Mercy University has given me all of these fantastic practical skills – I’m not just sitting listening to someone talk – I’m doing it! In class we always talk about what is going on in radio NOW – and for a final you had to run a show – great way to get your feet wet and get REAL experience!”
Varley who interned for SiriusXM for two summers in a row was elated when this past November he was offered a part-time job as a sports board op. “Internships are a huge part of how you get into an organization – I see that now. They are invaluable. You need to know people, you need to make connections. Assistant Professor Lou Grasso really helped me along the way and guided me. He has really encouraged my personal growth and to take the opportunities presented to me at SiriusXM.”
Since first being hired, in November 2014, Varley has been promoted to Comedy Associate Producer for the comedy stations. “I am helping produce and edit content Comedy Central, Jeff and Larry’s Comedy Roundup, Raw Dog and Comedy Greats. It is amazing – I love it! And it all started with an internship!”
