>Working with Next Generation Radio was like coming home. I feel like I’ve found a community with unconditional support and an overflowing pool of advice and experience.

The first day of Next Generation Radio’s CapRadio program was exciting and exhausting. This is the most drained that I have been in a long time without any physical exertion. But every night I’ve felt so productive and proud of the hard work I put in.

I am thrilled that this week gave me the opportunity to reconnect with my interviewee, who was an old friend. I am so grateful that she opened herself up to me and my computer full of zoom attendees who were silently listening to her open and vulnerable answers. I owe her a huge thank you for making this project what it is.

I also owe a huge thank you to my amazing mentor, Tiffany Camhi. Her amazing feedback, beautiful scheduling and constant reminder to take a break helped me keep my sanity while the days flew by. Our similar temperaments with her years of experience made my time with Next Generation Radio really fun and memorable.

One of the many things I’m going to take away from this week is what I learned from the amazing Selena Seay-Reynolds, my audio engineer. Watching her mix my audio in real-time lit a spark inside of me, and I hope to pursue more audio engineering opportunities in the future. Her emphasis on self-care while doing the work that you love made me feel so safe and finishing the day with a candle-lit audio session was just what the doctor ordered.

Now, I finally believe Doug Mitchell when he said that this week will go by very quickly. It may take me another week to fully recover, but I am so excited to see what comes next for me.