Before the first day of my last semester, I received an email from my professor telling of an opportunity that I should apply for—Next Generation Radio. In all honesty, I had never heard of the program before. As I scrolled through the webpage, looking and listening to stories from previous mentees, I thought, “woah, this is really cool” (I wish I had a more extensive thought process, but ‘cool’ was the only word I could really think of at the time). I decided to apply, and lo and behold, it was so much better than just “cool.” It was one week of intense training, collaborating, editing, interviewing – all of the great skills that make journalism, well, journalism. Kate Gannon, the professor that encouraged me to apply, became my mentor and I am so happy I got to work with her.
At the beginning of the week, when the project first started, I saw the checklist and got a bit scared, But, as the week went on, it was so rewarding to see things getting completed along the way. I have gained so much experience, and for that, I am extremely grateful. Getting the chance to work with some of the other editors made me realize that this was the kind of environment I would love to be a part of in the future.
My digital and visual editors, Claudia and Laura, were so helpful. I loved hearing their ideas and thoughts about my piece. Listening to Selena get so excited when talking about audio editing was refreshing and motivating. I learned so much while watching her create magic in Adobe Audition. Gabriela’s guidance as managing editor throughout the week made the process smooth and enjoyable. I guess what I’m trying to say is, the Next Generation Radio project consists of a very talented group of people who are excited to help you succeed, in both the project and overall. I am very proud of the work that I contributed. I’ve gained more confidence in my abilities to work with audio and as a journalist in general.
