Longtime radio, podcasting professional switches to a full-time position at City College
Jodina Scazzola joins the Radio, Television and Film program ready to mentor future professionals in her industry
RTVF faculty Jodina Scazzola, center, talks to a student in audio production class at San Diego City College, May 26, 2023. Photo by Marco Guajardo/City Times Media
June 14, 2023
With a master’s in counseling and a career in health, it seemed everything was set for Jodina Scazzola, but life is not so linear.
After 25 years in the radio industry, Scazzola made the transition to full-time faculty in February, teaching in the Radio, Television and Film program at San Diego City College.
Scazzola’s own story in radio started at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, a spa celebrities would frequent.
There, she would act as the media spokesperson for radio shows.
It is where her passion for radio developed.
“I like the idea of people not seeing what you look like,” she said, “and then judging you based on what you had to say, and how you sound versus just your looks.”
Scazzola would later break into the industry through internships under her mentor, Rich Hudson, who taught her all there is to know in audio production.
Her portfolio of clients includes Nickelodeon, Home Deport, Hampton Bay Fans, Sony Pictures Entertainment and PBS, according to her official website.
Since acquiring her new position, Scazzola has been given a deeper look into the school’s inner workings and meeting many more people, including students.
Her load of classes has changed. In addition to voiceover, she teaches radio programming and audio production classes, according to the district course schedule.
The experience of teaching has been challenging, Scazzola said, but also fun because the students’ backgrounds are diverse.
“I have students that are fresh out of high school and some of my students have Ph.D.s in chemistry,” she said.
That student gave her suggestions on how to organize her classes, making it a learning experience for Scazzola as much as for her students.
Scazzola now is focused on two goals at City College – setting up the student radio station, which was taken offline during the pandemic, and mentoring her students.
“I’m at the point in my life that mentoring and helping people succeed feels really good,” Scazzola said. “It brings a lot of joy and happiness to my life to help others be successful.”
Paul Lai was a student in DJRN 200, Newswriting for Multimedia, during the spring 2023 semester.
