Watching Richie Castronova’s eyes light up as he talks is like watching a kid on Christmas: energetic, genuine and full of a passion for life.

“I had the privilege of working the [Screen Actors Guild (SAG)] Awards,” Castronova said.

It was the moment he truly knew where he belonged and what he wanted for himself.

“Watching something I’d been working on come to life on stage was so overwhelming and fulfilling,” Castronova said. “People always say working in media is a thankless job – I was just so fullof gratitude.”
That moment, seeing Kristen Bell perform a segment he helped write for the Annual SAG Awards, changed everything.

Castronova grew up in Bayshore, Long Island, but recently moved to nearby Great River.
“I love Long Island – born and raised here,” Castronova said.
When it came time to choose a college, staying close to home just felt right for him.
“I knew I didn’t want to be too far from home, but far enough that I could have my own life,” Castronova said. “Hofstra [University] was perfect – close enough if I needed to be home.”
At Hofstra, Castronova is a television and business major with a minor in public relations, but that combination was not always part of the plan. In fact, it took him several tries to find his academic home, originally enrolling as a filmmaking major.
“I wasn’t really sure if film was something that I really wanted to pursue,” Castronova said. “But since the school offered a major in it, I figured, why not pursue it?”
And while he found himself enjoying the buzz of show life, something still was not right, so he changed his major to video, television and film. The television (TV) world quickly became his passion, and he knew he was on the right track. With this solidified, he explored opportunities in the field; little did he know, his passion for TV could go even further.
Like many other Hofstra students, Castronova had heard whisperings about the University’s Hofstra LA program, a semester-long communications-based experience on the West Coast. When his friend Arlette Peralta mentioned it, he jumped at the opportunity.
“[Los Angeles] was always a thought in the back of my head,” Castronova said. “I’ve always loved the idea of going somewhere sunny. It’s [nice] year-round, you know, it’s sunny, shiny LA; it’s ‘La La Land.’”
That semester changed everything.
Castronova interned at Silent House Productions, the creative team behind the SAG Awards, Coachella and the Backstreet Boys’ Las Vegas residency. It was there that he began to see a career beyond studio production.
“Going to LA opened my eyes to what the real world looks like in communications,” Castronova said. “Learning about [public relations], learning about marketing, knowing there’s a social position I could work in – I had no idea that was a possibility for me.”
By the time he returned to New York, he knew he had to make a change. He made his final major switch to television business to make room for a minor in public relations.
“Honestly, it felt like fate,” he said. “It felt like the perfect and right decision to make.”
Back at Hofstra, Castronova has a busy schedule, involving himself in as many extracurriculars as possible.
He recently began a position as a package producer for Hofstra Today, where he manages story sourcing, shoots and edits.
“It’s super fresh to me,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of crewing before – camera operation, assistant directing – but producing is new to me. It’s out of my comfort zone, and that’s what I love about it.”
And when he is not behind the camera, he is in front of it as a recurring anchor of Newsbreak on Thursday Nite Live.
“Thursday Nite Live has always been something that fills my cup,” Castronova said. “It’s my regeneration, my refuel that reminds me this is what I love to do.”
Castronova is also a resident assistant, which has allowed him to be more involved all over campus.
“Sophomore year, I was living off campus, and it wasn’t the greatest environment for me,” Castronova said. “So having the opportunity to completely shift that and change to something that can give me responsibility, a sense of belonging [and] a sense for people relying on me – that excites me.”
That kind of balance between leadership and creativity defines Castronova’s college experience.
“Juggling things is hard,” Castronova admitted, “but when you have a good support system – friends, family, fun experiences – it makes it all worth it.”
Part of that support system here at Hofstra came through Hofstra’s Greek community. Castronova joined both Zeta Phi Eta, the professional communications fraternity, and Phi Kappa Theta, a social fraternity.
“Zeta Phi Eta gave me a community of people who are equally as creatively driven,” Castronova said. “Being able to grow off creative minds is huge.”
His involvement in Greek life also shaped his understanding of acceptance and himself.
“Coming into college, it’s always difficult to let go of your past,” he said, getting vulnerable. “Realizing my sexuality was hard, but understanding that it was okay to be myself in a community of people that are fully accepting of me was great.”
Before admitting that he was overthinking, Castronova said, “My biggest concern was kind of like, ‘how would the people in my life treat me now that they know that I’m not straight?’ My fraternity was super accepting. I never even told anyone individually – it kind of just became common knowledge.”
Then, when asked about his favorite memory associated with Greek life, he grinned.
“The lovely ladies of Delta Phi Epsilon put on an event every single year called Hofstra’s Hottest Man,” Castronova said. “It’s a competition that supports their philanthropy for women’s heart health. A bunch of men from different fraternities compete in a pageant – the end goal is to raise funds for a great cause and have a good time doing it.”
“The fun, interactive element is that you get to vote on Hofstra’s Hottest Man,” Castronova said. “I was in the running for that freshman year – and I did, in fact, win. It was a fun experience doing that with my friends and getting that title.”
Outside of Hofstra, Castronova recently made his national television debut as a contestant on FOX’s “99 to Beat.”
“‘99 to Beat’ is a competition show of a hundred people all competing to be the last one standing for a million dollars,” Castronova explained. “The motto is ‘don’t finish last.’”
The show, filmed in London mixes absurd physical challenges with psychological twists.
“They had us do insane things like defrosting a whistle in a block of ice, stuffing duct tape in a lunchbox [and] blindfolded musical challenges. It was mayhem, but hilarious,” Castronova said.
He competed alongside his sister, Gianna Castronova.
“We filmed in London for three weeks. Afterwards, my sister and I flew to Rome before coming home. We really abused that travel voucher,” Castronova said, laughing.
Despite the chaos of the competition, Castronova said “99 to Beat” host Ken Jeong’s kindness stood out.
“[Jeong] is the nicest guy ever,” Castronova said. “He’s generous, thoughtful and selfless. He really cares about the show and everyone on it.”
For Castronova, participating in the show was more than just a TV appearance. It was a lesson in teamwork, resilience and not taking himself too seriously.
As graduation approaches, Castronova is thinking about his next chapter.
“After college, I would love to work some sort of pre-production development job, or with a company that does live events like Silent House or doing social media for a bigger company,” Castronova said. “Whatever I could be presented with, I can take and run with.”
But beyond titles and internships, he carries a broader philosophy.
“Fear is the killer of creativity and the killer of progress,” Castronova said. “You need to fight it deep down because what comes after is growth.”
It is advice he truly believes in. And it is exactly the kind of grounded optimism that defines him as a person.