Arenberg Shares Love of Radio with CCCC

by Jarod Deegan

In the fall of 2011, Professor Naomi Arenberg found herself in a difficult situation after being let go from her job at WGBH, a public radio station broadcasted out of Boston.

“At that point in my life radio production was all I knew and I found myself in a very confusing and difficult situation,” said Arenberg

Fortunately for Arenberg, she already had a Master’s in Education that she received from Tufts University in 1986, and she had a strong resume to get back into the world of radio production. In August of 2012, Arenberg got back into the industry when she was hired as a part-time adjunct faculty member at 4Cs, where she has been ever since.

“She’s one of the best station managers I’ve worked with, and I’ve worked a lot of station mangers before, believe me,” said Mina Greene, an instructor with Project Forward who has worked with Arenberg for the last seven years

Teaching, and social work in general, has been a part of Arenberg’s life since she was born, as many of her family members were either teachers, psychiatrists or some type of social worker.

“I believe that public education is a form of social justice,” said Arenberg, “What I enjoy most about teaching is that I am able to make special connections with the students and provide help to them both in and out of the class room”.

Arenberg is beloved by her students because she takes the time to build connections with her students. One student who Arenberg has left a positive impact on is Rye Black, the President of the Radio Club.

“Naomi has always been one person that I feel safe and comfortable confiding in if I have a problem,” said Black

Originally born and raised in Rochester, Massachusetts, Arenberg ;didn’t move to the Cape until her late 30’s. When she was 15, she moved to the suburbs of Washington D.C. with her aunt and uncle. After living there for almost two years, she decided to go to college in Boston and wound up staying in the Boston area for 20 years, before deciding to move to Onset with her husband to have a family.

After college, it was hard for Arenberg to find a job in public education, so from 1989 up until 2011, she worked at radio stations such as WGBH and WCAI.

“Radio was a perfect match,” said Arenberg.

Her love for radio stemmed from her love of music. Arenberg grew up with a small and simple radio that she had access to when she moved in with her family down in Washington D.C. It was this love for music that started Arenberg on her career path in radio.

Today, Arenberg teaches radio production and radio broadcasting courses in a classroom located right in the WKKL building. You can hear Arenberg’s voice on the WKKL airwaves on Sunday nights, when she co-hosts a show called ‘Recovery Radio’ alongside Chris Hills. On this show, Arenberg and Hills talk with recovering addicts as well as people that council recovering addicts. They use their platform to help people to tell their stories, in the hopes that it will inspire others.

“Some of the stories are very emotional, but they have a strong message” said Arenberg.

In her spare time away from work, Arenberg enjoys singing and tending to her indoor and outdoor gardens. For the most part, however, Arenberg’s time is most often spent right here on campus at WKKL, teaching her students and helping people get on the airwaves.

Categories: Professors, People