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Aaron Rogers remembers one of his first experiences at CU-Boulder...walking onto Farrand Field on his first Saturday night as a freshman during the Welcome Fest concert. Thinking back, he says the moment helped propel his interest in music first, and then the music industry.

"I vividly remember Welcome Fest, being in a crowd of 10,000 people and being captivated by the community that I was immediately immersed in," said Rogers, who will graduate May 7 with a communications major and business minor.

A music lover, Rogers began working in production at the Boulder Theater when he was a sophomore, and it was there that he quickly realized that he really enjoyed being involved in the music industry. After some research on campus, he learned about Program Council.

"It all clicked, because Welcome Fest was my introduction to CU, and then I realized that Program Council put that event on," he said. "At that point, I really wanted to join the group so I volunteered for the Street Team, which helps promote our events on and off campus."

He was hired on as the public relations director, a position he has held for more than two years and one that has provided him with lots of hands-on experience. His job, like most public relations directors, is to promote Program Council's multitude of events, concerts, film showings and other live performances on campus.

"I'm really thrilled to get the opportunity to be paid for having a hands-on experience, like picking an artist for a show and then promoting it until the day of the show," he said.

Rogers' advice to students just starting out, or looking for a new passion, is to just jump in and try something, join a group or a club, play intramurals, get involved because you never know where it can lead.

"I had no idea I would be involved with Program Council, it all started with a little passion in my heart for music and that blossomed because I jumped into the deep end and winged it," Rogers said. "When you're in college, you have an opportunity to become an entirely new person. So if you have any interest in something, give it a try."

At the end of the day, with his real-world experience gained and career direction planted, the group also helped Rogers find his place on campus.

"A really cool aspect of Program Council is once you're in the family, you're forever in there. We have alumni come in and look at all the posters from events 20 years ago and say 'I did that one and that one.' That's pretty cool," he said.

With a couple of Denver-based bands under his direction already, Rogers plans to pursue his goal of working in the music industry, after a solo trip through Europe this summer.