Maura Wolf

At the start of 2026, Maura Wolf found herself back in the studio of Triton College’s radio station, WRRG, for the first time since she graduated with an Associate of Arts degree with a focus in music and business in 2022. But this time, she wasn’t DJing.

Wolf, a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist for indie rock quartet Ur Mom, was there to promote the band’s debut LP, “Shrinks for Suburbanites.” Watch this video to see Maura’s return to WRRG and hear her perform songs from the album.

Ur Mom’s journey as a band has been filled with excitement—opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top at Ravinia, earning awards at local music festivals, and preparing for their first Midwest and East Coast tour this spring.

Through Wolf, Triton has also been part of Ur Mom’s story. If there’s one song from Ur Mom’s album “Shrinks and Suburbanites” that resonates with her experience at Triton College, it would be “Plot Twist.”

After graduating from Main South High School in Park Ridge, where Ur Mom formed, Wolf attended Oakton Community College.

Her first year was marked by the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Wolf said she was eager to rejoin in-person classes and especially Oakton’s soccer team.

“I got a call two weeks before my sophomore year of college that there was no soccer team,” recalled Wolf. “I was devastated, because I had been training the whole summer for it.”

Then came an unexpected offer from Triton’s soccer coach. She could come to practice the next morning at 5 a.m. and join Triton’s team.

Transferring from Oakton to Triton was another unwelcome change for Wolf. “I didn’t know anyone,” she said. “I was starting over, and it was farther away.”

But more plot twists were ahead.

Walking down a hallway, “I saw a sign for their percussion classes, and so I joined halfway through the semester,” said Wolf.

Flipping through the radio dial on a drive home from class, Wolf discovered Triton’s station, WRRG 88.9 FM. “I started listening,” she said. “I went online, found the email, and asked if I could come in; check it out; maybe volunteer.”

“They were very inviting,” continued Wolf, who received training from Kelli Lynch. “She was super enthusiastic.”

Wolf began DJing a two-hour segment on Tuesdays, and said she became more deeply involved in Triton College’s music offerings; taking guitar and vocal lessons and joining the Jazz Band.

“Every interest I had, Triton always had something to offer. They had a class that offered that, or at least a person I could talk to about it,” said Wolf.

A Financial Accounting course helped Wolf harness skills in the business side of the music industry.

Taught by full-time tenured Professor of Accounting Geoff Hiller, “I’ve never been so engaged in a class,” she said. A Managerial Accounting course followed, “and I found I just have this love for accounting and business which has helped me with the band.”

Triton’s “accommodating and helpful” Transfer Center was available in person whenever Wolf needed them, ensuring an easier transition to Belmont University in Nashville.

In the years since her Triton graduation, Wolf has continued to experience unexpected joys, like being a part-time soccer coach for children age 18 months to 10 years. “It’s great to be able to have a physical outlet with soccer, and an emotional outlet with music,” she said.

She continues to champion the community college experience. “When you’re not so stressed about the financials, it gives you more freedom to explore your interests,” Wolf said.

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, just stay close to home for a little bit and figure it out,” she added. “Look at the course catalogs. Check everything out. See what interests you and take it from there. There’s no rush.”

Sometimes at a Ur Mom show, Wolf looks into the crowd and sees a familiar face from Triton: Hiller. Lynch.

And there are other reminders.

“We’ve performed at several radio stations,” Wolf said. “And every time I’m in a radio station, I think of Triton. I’m looking at the sound board and I’m like, ‘that looks like the one Triton had in the basement. Everything ties back to my time at Triton.”