Meet Jacob Aloi '22
Connecting with community, from the airwaves to residence halls
If there's a common thread that weaves throughout Jacob Aloi's career, it's his interest in the everyday lives of the people around him.
While at Hamline, Aloi '22, of Wailuku, Hawaii, a history major, with a minor in English, found and created opportunities to explore new media for sharing his interest in the communities around him. He became a host of his own show on Frogtown Radio, inspired by the cultural anthropology reporting style of Vox, This American Life, and Vice. He took that passion and incorporated audio into storytelling projects for his English classes.
However, Aloi's engagement in his community extended far beyond the academic; he served as both a mentor to and an observer of the Hamline community, as a media editor of The Oracle student newspaper (where his work as a photojournalist and podcast host has won awards and acclaim from the Associated Collegiate Press), and as a residential assistant (RA) in Hamline's dorms.
Since graduating in 2022, Aloi has continued his passion for journalism as an arts reporter for Minnesota Public Radio.
Being an RA is more intense than people think it is, but it's a really rewarding job. You get to help people and be a service leader.
For Aloi, being an RA was full of surprises, from helping first year students find their footing on campus to mediating conflict between roommates, and finding that—through his responsibilities—he had grown as a person, too.
"It's definitely shaped me. It's been a way for me to be a role model," Aloi reflected.
Highlights
Check out the journalism at The Oracle, learn more about being a resident assistant, and discover our English and History departments.