We recently caught up with University of Pretoria (UP) alumna, Nadia Romanos, to get insights about her career and how life has been since she graduated from UP.

“I could not be a prouder UP graduate. I had the time of my life while studying there - loved the vibe on campus, and I enjoyed being able to delve into subjects I was interested in,” she recalled.

“Joining Tuks FM was the best part of my university experience because I found like-minded people, made friends for life, and would not have my career today without it.”

Romanos, who graduated with a BA (Hons) Journalism in 2013, is currently a news presenter on the 5FM afternoon drive show, 5 Drive, and is the station’s resident movie buff. Behind the scenes at 5FM, she’s a digital content producer and when she’s off air and offline, you’ll most likely find her baking up a storm.

Prior to being a news anchor, Romanos says she wanted to be a DJ. That did not work out as planned and she later realised that the news department was a better fit for her. She has not looked back since.

She says the challenging part about her job is sometimes covering sad stories that happen to be about someone she knows or has met before.

“It can get tough to hold it together but it is important to look at the bigger picture.”

Romanos says her career trajectory changed when she got a call to work at 5FM.

“I was obsessed with the station when I was at school but never imagined I could ever work there,” she says.

“It was an absolute dream come true. I have been there for eight years now and I still don’t believe it sometimes. I also had an opportunity to go to London to interview the British actor, Henry Cavil. It was an incredible experience.”

Romanos admits that her passion and love for broadcast media outweighs that of print media.

“Nothing beats the adrenaline that comes with being live on air. There is also an element of drama that comes with it… like being able to have fun with your voice and using sounds to elevate a story. Radio was a companion for me when I was studying, so it is important to me to use my voice and hopefully be a companion for others.”

Romanos says she is grateful for the journalism skills she acquired at UP because the lessons have been instrumental in her every-day work. She says it is easy to spot a fellow-UP journalism alumni in the industry by their work ethic.

She advises budding journalists to believe in themselves if they want to make it in the industry.

“Don’t do it for the fame. Find a way to get your foot in the door. Campus radio stations are the best place to learn. It is a very competitive, small and ever-changing industry but if you really want it, you can make a success of it, so long as you are passionate and willing to work hard”.