Today, we have radio hosts (and twin sisters!) Jordan and Joelle Hernandez! Since they were little, they have had a passion for the entertainment industry, snagging roles as babies! The twins were featured at six months old in a commercial for the United Negro College Fund. About about a year and a half later, they were cast as baby Sarah in Dead Presidents, starring Larenz Tate and Chris Tucker. The sisters put their auditioning to the side to focus on school, until the age of 10 when they started up again. “We were constantly traveling in and out of NYC to shoot various commercials, educational videos and magazine/catalog spreads, including the cover of New York Magazine, a Spongebob product commercial, Limited Too catalogs and Toys R Us catalogs just to name a few,” the twins said in an email interview. They also became very active in the Perth Amboy, NJ Chapter of New Jersey Orators. “As members of NJ Orators, we developed a love and skill for being in front of an audience through public speaking competitions,” Jordan and Joelle stated. In high school, they continued to pursue their love of television, getting involved in the Newscasters Club, reporting the school news on television, two or three times a week.
Inspired by celebrity hosts like Joan and Melissa Rivers as well as Wendy Williams, as well as their aunt, Toya Beasley, who has her own major radio career, Jordan and Joelle went on to study Communications at Loyola University Maryland, continuing to develop their love of entertainment and media! The sisters stated that they knew they wanted to major in Communications since the 4th grade, and Loyola was a place for them to grow even more in the field. They also cited their family obsession with award shows as being a part of the reason as well as to why they moved towards entertainment as their main focus. “Our mom would call her sisters during the awards and they would comment on the outfits, performances, winners, losers, etc., similar to how people “live tweet” awards shows now but way before Twitter!” they reminisced. After visiting Loyola in their senior of high school, they also knew that they wanted to have their own radio show focused on entertainment, which Jordan named, Double Dose of Entertainment. “I am not sure where I came up with name but it sounded good!” she said.
While at Loyola, the twins indeed hosted Double Dose of Entertainment, a weekly radio (and eventual television program) that reported on the latest entertainment news. They admitted, however, that it was quite difficult to pitch the show, to WLOY, Loyola’s radio station, which is a mainly alternative rock station that focuses on local Baltimore music with DJs instead of actual hosts. The twins wanted to play R&B/Hip-Hop music, while still having a talk show format. “They had us record two demos to see if the show would fit into the format,” the hosts acknowledged. “After handing the demo tapes over, we were allotted one hour on Friday nights from 7-8 to do the show live! During our second semester, the show moved from being one hour, to two.”Jordan and Joelle found it hard, at first, to balance being full-time students and running their own show. “At first, researching and preparing felt like having an extra class with a consistent homework assignment,” the hosts admitted. “However, as time went on and we had a better handle on where to look for reliable news, it became a hobby rather than a chore.” As their years at the university went on, they took on more tasks, eventually becoming WLOY’s first Hip-Hop & R&B Music Directors, vetting new submissions and going through past music in the genres. “We cannot say enough about WLOY!” they said. “It will always be the home of Double Dose and we are truly grateful for the experience and the willingness of the staff to give our show a shot.” Double Dose expanded beyond radio to television during the twins’ sophomore year, with Loyola’s student-run television station, GreyComm Studios, extending an offer for the show to be brought to campus TV and their YouTube channel. “We began shooting a shorter version of the radio show weekly,” Jordan and Joelle said. “Being on television allowed us to connect to another audience as well as bring Double Dose to life through graphics and photos.”
In addition to working full-time and hosting their own radio show, Jordan and Joelle are also in the final stages of publishing their first children’s book, Twin Tales: Sasha and Sophie Go To School, which will be available later this year! The sisters are also co-founders of their own non-profit organization, 4 Little Souls Inc, which they started along with two of their friends about 12 years ago. “[We] saw that there were children, our age, who were less fortunate than us,” they said. “We did many fundraisers and [hosted] many community service projects through Little Souls and have helped hundreds of children in various capacities.” The organization is back in full force, with 4 Little Souls recently completing a school supply drive and winter accessory/toiletry drive! “We are gearing up for more projects in the spring and are so happy to have the privilege to continue to help God’s little souls everywhere,” Jordan and Joelle said.Wow! I am so proud of and inspired by these two! I first met them during my time at Loyola (we’re very proud alums!), and they have beautiful spirits and are very driven towards their goals. These twin sisters are doing amazing things, and I know that they will continue to make a big name for themselves in the entertainment biz!
You can check out more from Jordan and Joelle on their website, as well as connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also, be sure to check out their radio show, Double Dose of Entertainment, every Monday at 7 p.m. ET on Yes Hour Radio!
