Tai Perkins ’17 Turns Pop Culture Moments into Media Gold

From a very early age, Tai Perkins ’17 understood that she had a unique voice – and she wanted to use it. “I was very inquisitive,” she tells us. “I was the student who volunteered to read in class and signed up to emcee at school events.”

Perkins researched careers that would align with her interests and natural talents, landing on journalism and media. Then, she met a Bloomfield College recruiter at one of her high school’s career days. “He told me about the communications programs and the campus, adding to what I already knew about the College from my sister-in-law who is also a Blomfield graduate,” she recalls. “I applied and was accepted on the spot!”

Perkins loved the collaborative nature of studying at Bloomfield. “I often stayed after class to work on assignments, especially those for my communications courses,” she says. “There were a lot of video projects. I also co-hosted a show for WBCR, Bloomfield’s campus radio station.”

After graduating from Bloomfield, finding a job became Perkins’ top priority. “It was time to grow up,” she says. “I was hired by a company that handles retiree benefits. It was a good job to have while I considered where to take my career next.”

That meant a lot of freelancing, learning everything she could about the music and entertainment industries. 

Writing for In The Spotlight magazine, in particular, enabled Perkins to deepen her skills. “A lot of platforms were going digital at that time,” Perkins points out, “and radio DJs were setting up their own entertainment news websites.” 

Perkins’ networking included attending conferences for media professionals. Jennifer Le, a former radio host at Hot 97, was a panelist at one of them. 

“I reached out to Jennifer through social media,” Perkins says. “And she responded! That gave me a lot of confidence. After that we started communicating by email. We developed a working relationship and eventually I became her assistant. When a writing role came up at Hot 97, she encouraged me to apply.”

Perkins joined Hot 97 in 2018 as a freelance multimedia content producer. She was promoted to senior editorial content manager in 2024.

“In my first role there, I was managing a beautiful team as well as writing,” Perkins says. “I was using my voice to entertain and inform. With thousands of viewers, I worked hard to write concise and accurate reports. I was immersed in the culture, meeting and interviewing artists and celebrities.”

As senior editorial content manager, Perkins oversees all content and performance metrics across Hot 97 and WBLS, two of the most influential platforms in urban music and culture. Her role brings together her experience in editorial writing, radio broadcasting, on-camera hosting and more. “I know how a story sounds on air, how it reads in a headline and how it lands on camera, because I've done all three,” she says. “I'm equally comfortable in the field, behind the mic, or managing a newsroom under deadline pressure.”

Perkins is now integrating AI into her workflow to stay ahead of the curve, using it for real-time metrics tracking and performance analysis to accelerate and sharpen content production and to design digital assets to keep her platforms visually competitive.

“My Bloomfield professors taught from the perspective of real-live experience,” Perkins says. “That made the transition from college to career so much easier.”

Despite a demanding professional life, Perkins keeps in touch with her Bloomfield classmates and professors. “They helped shape my career,” she says. “They gave me the tools, resources and confidence to step into challenging roles.”

“It is exciting to see what the merger with Montclair is providing for today’s Bloomfield students, especially in communications,” Perkins adds. “Bloomfield offers a boutique college experience; Montclair enhances it with big university resources.”

Perkins looks forward to returning to Bloomfield as an involved alumna when her schedule allows. “I can recall alumni coming back to campus when I was a student,” she says. “They encouraged me to take advantage of all of Bloomfield’s resources – classmates, professors, everything. It was really inspiring. I would like to encourage the next generation of students in the same way.”