Countdown to Commencement: Samantha Sternstein

Perhaps the best way to describe Samantha Sternstein, '26 BA, '28 MA Communication Studies, is to listen to her radio show, "The Infirmary." Aired Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on KSJS 90.5 FM, San José State's college station, Sternstein serves as "DJ Siick," queen of subrock. She's equally confident selecting tracks from the station's vast music library as she is at the microphone, transitioning between local artists like Natasha Sandworms and the early-2000s indie rock band Rilo Kiley.

As a deejay, Sternstein is cheerful, girl-next-door friendly, accessible and informative, always with a trick up her sleeve. Her versatility at the microphone is no surprise; a self-described "theater kid," Sternstein possesses an infectious ease that makes her appear at home everywhere from the Hugh Gills Hall's quiet offices on a rainy Sunday to the fifth floor of Clark Hall, where she's served as a student assistant on the University Marketing Communications team since her second semester of freshman year.

A performer and aspiring professional communicator, Sternstein applied for dozens of campus jobs when she first arrived at SJSU. To qualify for her role as a student assistant supporting a social media team, she had to submit a short TikTok that represented herself - her personality, her connection to the university, the type of messages she'd like to share with her peers. Little did she know, Sternstein beat out 80 other applicants to land the role. She asked a friend to film her in front of the Olympic statue as she introduced herself and explained why she'd be a good fit for the position. In essence: She was disarming, poised, and above all, herself.

"She put together her TikTok exactly like we envisioned, planned it to a tee," says Eric Harding, who served as the digital marketing communications manager at the time. "Samantha completely understood what the job required and was speaking the same language."

Harding says Sternstein's personality and talent came through in her work right away. As weeks turned into months, she collaborated on Instagram reels and social media campaigns, and even joined Harding on a homecoming golf cart parade, where she got the chance to interview SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson.

"Samantha has a lot of interests and is an old soul; she has an ability to connect with people of all ages and she has an appreciation for all kinds of things," he adds. Though Harding later left SJSU to pursue a job in San Francisco, he counts Sternstein as a member of his circle, a role model for his baby daughter to admire.

Bridging interests

Though her interests are varied - Sternstein made friends and met roommates through a crochet club, and has also held leadership roles in student organizations like Bridge SJSU, a nonpartisan group that holds weekly events centering constructive dialogue - the throughline in her SJSU experience is a true desire to connect with and learn from others.

"The first semester of my freshman year, I was going through a really hard transition period," she says. "I'm an only child and I'm really close to my parents, and not having them around was really hard. It wasn't until that second semester that I got involved in the radio station, I got involved in Bridge SJSU, and I started working here [as a student assistant]. I wasn't expecting to find my niche, but I just love school."

As a communication studies major and a political science minor, Sternstein has absorbed knowledge in class and learned to apply new skills and ideas in real time. She has volunteered with SJSU Votes, pitched ideas to the University Marketing team, performed in bands and supported the Sammy Spartan mascot at many campus events. She shares that one of her favorite projects as a student assistant was helping film a short social media reel about National Hot Chocolate Day. She partnered with Harding's successor and current SJSU Digital Media Manager Brian Anderson, '24 MFA Digital Media Art, and SJSU Digital Content Analyst Trevor Phillips, '18 RTVF, to film an instructional video in the break room.

"Sammy the Spartan was all suited up and trying to finagle a giant Spartan mug with his sham hands, and I had to help him with the milk and the cocoa powder," she says. "It was quite the afternoon."

Anderson, who has collaborated closely with Sternstein on a variety of social media projects, says that she brings an infectious energy to the team.

"One thing I can say about Sam? She is someone who brings about an atmosphere of positivity and creativity," he says. "She always shows up, goes above and beyond and finds new ways to elevate our university's social presence."

In 2025, Sternstein put her communication studies research skills to good use by analyzing SJSU Instagram content from student perspectives - specifically student leaders or student assistants across multiple departments. Her semester-long research project led to a presentation to SJSU communicators about the use of institutional social media.

"I found that students love to see other students and activity on campus [on social media]," she says. "They wanted to see the public spaces where people gather, or to learn about career opportunities, including career fairs, job skills. Students want to see themselves represented."

Next steps

After supporting SJSU commencement as a student assistant for the last three years, it's now Sternstein's turn to don cap and gown and cross the stage. Though it's bittersweet to see her undergraduate chapter close, Sternstein is excited to begin her master's program in communication studies at SJSU this fall, where she'll also be serving as a teaching assistant.

Her advice for fellow Spartans?

"My biggest advice is to not be so online," she says. "I'm a very offline person and I like to keep it that way. Staying involved with other things outside work is super important. College is the place to get involved. If you have the opportunity to live on campus, that's pretty cool. Get involved with clubs, get involved with things that you're interested in. Take every opportunity and really live it, be in the moment."

And whether that moment involves making a mug of hot cocoa for a university mascot or spinning tunes on a quiet Sunday afternoon, Sternstein is ready for whatever happens next.