My experience with Next Generation Radio this week has been a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to see what it would be like to work in a newsroom, specifically in public radio. Multiple times this week, I have thought back to my younger self and believe she would be so proud of me for taking this step.
I had a lot of self-doubt when I first submitted my application for NextGen. Am I too inexperienced? Am I too deep into my marketing job to entertain another option? When was the last time I sat down and wrote something good? Does my pitch make sense?
These feelings started to fade when we had our first meeting. I met people with similar passions: storytelling, social justice, and a LOVE for public radio! I thought HEY! I deserve to be here. I deserve to be working alongside these incredible people.
Now that my NextGen week has ended, I look forward to applying these new tools to my daily life and work. Something new that I want to bring to life is simple. “Just start …” The braindump exercise made me realize how much I dwell on work before starting.
Make the phone call, write the story, and apply for the job. I am so thankful that I have learned to trust myself and my instincts through this experience. Next time I have self-doubt, I will look to this project and what I accomplished in a week and move forward with trust.
I want to thank everybody involved in Next Generation Radio, audio engineers, editors, mentors, and founder Doug Mitchell, for championing this once-in-a-lifetime journalism experience!
It’s never too late to explore what you are passionate about in life.