My ideal career after college graduation is to be a DJ on the radio, hence why I'm a communications major. :-) I first fell in love with the idea of working in radio when I was just seven years old. My dad had to go in to one of the Top 40 radio stations in Maine to record a commercial for the place that he works at. I was homeschooled at the time, so my mom had me take the afternoon off school and head up to the station with my dad. I got to meet the afternoon radio host, and while my dad recorded they gave me a tour of the station. I was offered the chance to go on-air, but at the time I was too shy to accept the offer. I did however get to take home a free Enrique Iglesias CD, and I got to request a song (I picked One More Time by Daft Punk). The memory stayed with me, and it still as clear as day in my mind.
When high school came around and I started exploring possible major options, I always kept coming back to communications. Once I started looking at colleges in the south, one of the main factors that attracted me to my former school is that they had an active radio station. Those of you who are newer to my blog might not know that I was a student DJ at my old school's radio station all through my freshman year of college last year. I was an afternoon host on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and on Monday nights during second semester I got to host my own show! Want to guess what I played? If you guessed late 90s/early 2000s pop then you're right! ;-)
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My last day DJing at the radio station in May 2013.
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When I realized last semester that I would be transferring colleges, I was super excited for things like Greek life and getting to live in the city. But the one thing that I was dissapointed about was that I would lose the chance to work in a college radio station. My new school doesn't have a radio station, and since it's such a small school that's probably not something that will ever happen in my time here. But all things happen for a reason, and thanks to the fact that I transferred I have the most
amazing radio based internship next semester, something that I never would have had the opportunity to do if I hadn't transferred! I'm so excited to be finally sharing about it with all of you! I found out that I received it a few weeks ago, but I wanted to wait and check with my supervisor before sharing about it with all of you. :-) Ready to hear what it is?
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| Still can't believe this is my internship! |
I had a bit of trouble this summer setting up my e-mail account for the school that I was transferring to. After a few weeks and several phone calls with the IT department, I was finally able to access my messages. I saw that I'd already been e-mailed about some opportunities for the communications department, and one caught my eye.
It was for an internship with the brand new Ryan Seacrest Studios at the Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte. Ryan Seacrest has a charitable foundation that places closed-circuit radio and TV studios inside of prominent children's hospitals across the US, and the Charlotte one just opened in July 2013! The duties of the intern included hosting a radio show for the children of the hospital, helping with celebrity visits and exploring other forms of communcation such as film and public relations. I suddenly had this feeling wash over me that
this internship was the reason why I'd transferred. I cannot stress how perfect this internship is for what I want to do as a career! Ryan Seacrest is one of my top career role models, so working for something that has his name would be a huge honor for me. I was missing being in a radio studio, and this one would have brand new state-of-the-art technology! And best of all, I would get to work with children, so it would be an experience far more unique then what I would get at a typical commercial radio station!
I called my dad at work after reading the e-mail and told him how excited I was. All I kept thinking to myself was how this internship seemed too good to be true! I quickly contacted the communications department of my college and asked them to keep me posted on this internship. They did, and that lead to me attending an info session/group interview at LCH (Levine Children's Hospital) in September. From the moment the I saw Seacrest Studios, I fell in love. Once I was asked back for a second interview I was incredibly nervous that I wouldn't make it through, but I ended up going into the second interview confidently with much prayer, preparation and encouragement. This interview was the first day of my fall break. (Also the day that my friend
Jules from Maine arrived to visit me!)
I found out about a week and a half later that I had
gotten the internship! I am one of six students selected from my college who will be interning there. I start next semester, and if I enjoy it and they ask me back then I can keep continuing right through my senior year of college! Even though I've known that I've had this internship for a few weeks now, I'm still in complete and utter shock. God has just blessed me
so, so much. I seriously almost start crying tears of joy when I think about how amazingly perfect this internship is for me, and how excited I am that this is apart of His plan for my life. The fact I will get to not only get great experience with my desired career path is awesome, but on top of that I'll get to meet celebrities, network with radio stations in Charlotte (It's never too early for job hunting!) and best of all, get to help bring smiles to the faces of kids in the hospital is just unbelievable. After I had such difficult high school years, transferring colleges, and then having a rougher first semester here at my new school, it was easy to start believing that I was a failure and would never make something of myself. But I didn't give up, and instead I realized my dreams and pursued opportunity, and look where it's gotten me!
I went to LCH for my first round of training tonight, and it made me even more excited. I have the perfect internship, and I could not be happier! Thank-you Lord!
"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Jesus Christ." -Philippians 4:19
xoxo Miss ALK
