While some people burst on the scene and others blaze a trail, campus celebrity, Shante “Shay Nicolee” Johnson used her path as her runway and slowly but steadily sashayed on the scene.
A Junior Communications Media major with a minor in Theater, Shay Nicolle is known around campus for doing anything and everything with media purposes. This includes WIUP-TV, TEN (The Entertainment Network) and working in the theater for the Lively Arts. Every Friday night you can hear the now leading lady start her show off with the phrase “Hey Friends” on WIUP-FM The Underground.
Shay was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA until the age of ten when she moved to Williamsport, PA. Even though she didn’t always know what she wanted to do, she always knew she was going to do something associated with radio due to her love of music. As a kid, she always wanted to be a singer; she would amaze people through her role in the chorus which lead her to believe that she would start a solo singing career or sing for a chorus. Then while in elementary school, she started playing the viola and playing in a classical orchestra became one of her options.
“I always knew I would have a career in music, I just didn’t know the route I would take,” Shay said.
Music has been her life since the young age of seven, according to her parents. Shay didn’t know she would make it directly to radio, but she always wanted to try it growing up, especially after listening to Philly’s Power 99.
“I just would listen to the people on the radio and tell everyone I wanted to be like them, sound like them and have people recognize me like them.”
But of course, no road is ever easy.
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It took her a while to figure everything out. Once she went to college, she considered becoming a psychologist. It wasn’t until she visited the radio and television station with her friend K Starr that she wanted to get involved in radio and television.
That semester, she didn’t realize that it was fairly easy to get involved in the radio, so she did behind the scenes work for IUP-TV’s Urban Superior. The show wasn’t the best fit for her, so the next year she became the third string to the Monday night Underground along with Trav Smooth and John Doe until switching to the Friday night show this semester.
“Right now, the radio is holding its place as a door opener”, Shay said.
Even though Shay loves her job on the radio, this isn’t what she wants to do as a career. With a communications degree and a minor in theater, Shay finds her experience perfect for her dream job which is to be a tour production manager. When asked if a tour production manager was the same as a promoter, she was clear that it wasn’t. She dreams of being the equivalent of a stage manager to the whole tour which is why she’s starting to make a name for herself now.
Shay makes sure her name stands out. Since middle school friends have always called her Shay which is short for Shante, she then added on her middle name Nicole along with an extra “e”.
“When looking at the name Shay Nicolee on Twitter and Facebook, there’s not that many people with that name. I haven’t found anyone with the name Nicole ending in two e’s so that’s my name Shay Nicolee.”
Throughout the years, it has been hard for her to juggle everything not just with her actual work, but even being a shy person in the industry.
She’s learned, “you have to make yourself known and have a dominate personality. A radio personality without dominance is not a real radio personality because people will just know you as that girl. I learned to be me myself because if I’m not myself, listeners can easily change the station.”
Not only has Shay learned a lot, but she has also accomplished something that a lot of people haven’t at her age.
She said, “I know it might sound cheesy but my biggest accomplishment is finding out what I want to do in life. I’ve wanted to do a lot and to finally find that one thing is amazing. It makes you want to research it all the time and just fall more in love.”
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But of course Shay couldn’t do all this by herself. She has a strong support system which starts with God.
“After everything I’ve been though, if it wasn’t for prayer, I don’t know where I would be,” she said.
Her support system then leads to her mom, who has always been there for her even though they clash frequently. Her dad is also a big supporter and is the one that always push her. She also says her friend K Starr is a supporter because she helps her with what to do and not to do on the radio.
Shay gets inspiration from her supporters, but she also has people that she inspires to be like including Power 99’s Shamara, and television host and former radio personality Wendy Williams, “because Wendy is outspoken and never holds her tongue.”
She also admires Beyoncé’s work ethic, “because when it comes down to her work, Beyoncé doesn’t take any crap.”
She also feels that Kanye West talks about things that people don’t want to talk about and that his visuals during his concerts are immaculate.
Her advice to others is to “try any and everything. Don’t limit yourself to what America limits you to. All black people don’t have to play ball. A black person can play soccer or lacrosse…a white man can rap and that goes for anybody and race.”
Shay’s interested in making her show better with the help of her listeners and supporters. To keep up with her, listen to her radio show Friday nights from 10pm-midnight on WIUP-FM 90.1. You can also follow her on Twitter @shaynicolee and follow her on Facebook at Shay Johnson. She’s interested in having people send their work for her to air and can’t wait to hear from you.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SHAY NICOLEE
1. Her car is named Trigga after Trey Songz.
2. She’s been on stage over 100 times.
3. She associates song lyrics with anything a person says.
4. In freshman year she played a joke on her friends using condoms.
5. Her favorite shows are Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice…doctor shows with a twist.
6. She has a fascination with guns.