At first glance, business and public radio may seem like separate worlds. But if you take a look inside the offices at Boise State Public Radio, you’ll see students from the College of Business and Economics are quietly proving that financial administration and storytelling walk hand in hand.
This collaboration has been spearheaded by Megan DuPre, senior business operations manager for Boise State Public Radio. To DuPre, the combination was an obvious one.
“At a university, it’s essential that we incorporate students into our work,” she said “My role is finance and compliance, and we advertised a position specifically for students pursuing an accountancy degree.”
Boise State Public Radio laid out a structure that would grant students the foundational knowledge and skills to thrive in their workplace.
“We started with education, then moved to task-based learning,” DuPre said. “Over time, as their knowledge grows, our students could take on more responsibility.”
For the Sydney Roberts and Miriam Cruz Campano, the two accountancy students Dupre hired, that structure was clear from the start. The pair’s early work focused on foundational tasks: contracts, recurring expenses and eventually deep dives into the general ledger. It was intentional work designed to teach the full scope of accounting.
“We started on small projects, and then they kind of morphed into their own working cycle,” Roberts said. “You finish one, it becomes routine, and then you move on to something more complex. That’s been really fun.”
Finding their footing
At its core, Boise State Public Radio aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice for student workers. Roberts has seen that connection forming in real time.
“Every class and every project kind of reaffirms my choice,” she said. “There are definitely moments where I’m like, ‘Is this the right thing?’ But even then, you can always pivot; Megan DuPre is always advocating for us and the best opportunities for us as students.”
That freedom to learn, question and grow has translated into tangible success and outcomes. Roberts is already stepping into her profession. She plans to become a certified public accountant and was awarded an internship with KPMG, one of the “Big Four” accounting firms, after she graduates. Typically interns there receive a job offer at the end of their internship.
But the successes don’t end there. Cruz Campano, who is from Mexico, was offered an extension of her role at Boise State Public Radio as an accounting assistant. She’s now a part-time member of the team for the next 12 months through the Optional Practical Training program, a post-graduation work authorization for F-1 visa students to work directly in their field of study.
Behind the broadcast
Even for students whose work happens within spreadsheets, the station’s team ensures they feel part of something larger.
“Students might not expect accounting or finance roles in radio,” DuPre said. “But those roles are essential to how we operate.”
Roberts experienced that firsthand; even stepping briefly into the broadcast studio.
“I was so scared to go onto a live radio broadcast. It was stressful, but it ended up being really fun,” she said. “Definitely a career-building experience.”
Even though Roberts isn’t considering a career switch anytime soon, the opportunity highlights the freedom the role provides. Across the station, students are not an add-on; they are integral. Every semester 15 to 20 students work at the station helping with programming, development, news, engineering, digital and even support in shows like Idaho Matters, nearly doubling the staff size.
Their work may not be heard on air, but it underpins everything the station does; the budgets balanced, the contracts tracked and the systems kept running so the signal never fades.
“Seeing that sense of community grow has been one of the most rewarding parts of this work,” DuPre said. “We’re incredibly proud of our student workforce.”
For Roberts, the experience has reshaped what learning looks like beyond the classroom.
“I have no plans to leave BSPR until after I graduate,” she said. “Yes, I’m working in accounting — but I still get to see all the other sides of the business.”
It’s that intersection where education meets responsibility, and students become contributors rather than observers, that defines the partnership between the College of Business and Boise State Public Radio. The lessons learned by the likes of Roberts will carry on long after graduation. As students move forward into their bright futures, so too does Boise State Public Radio, powered, in part, by the students who help keep it running.
By Morgan Reah