This week, working with NPR’s Next Generation Radio has been a rich experience in learning how to work with sound to tell the story of a small slice of Florida’s citrus industry. (Marian Summerall / NextGenRadio)
When I received the email that I was selected to be a part of NPR’s Next Generation Radio program, I dropped to the floor with tears of happiness. I was in the program! But it was when I lay awake at 2:30 early Wednesday morning this week that I discovered that the program was in me. I could not sleep because I was so excited about the various ways my story was coming together – the audio, the standup, the written story – all the many ways it was going to come off the page.
My week with NextGenRadio was such a phenomenal education.
Exploring citrus grower Eddie White’s story, meeting his family and showing how the history of Red Hill Groves in Sanford is part of a larger story of how Florida is changing was such an immense privilege.
It was a long week of hard, arduous work, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I was able to learn more about hands-on field work and was able to implement my journalism skills from the classroom in a professional atmosphere. I was surrounded and supported by incredibly talented journalists, artists and engineers, from whom I learned so much. My mentor, Rick Brunson, guided me along on this project, and I am forever grateful for the wisdom and support he showed me.
The days flew by with tight deadlines. I felt the pressure and the screws tightening, but also found myself eager to jump to the next task. I was immersed in new storytelling technologies and skills – and so much more. This program was my first time constructing a complete multimedia story package, and I found a new passion for radio journalism. I am so grateful for NPR’s NextGenRadio program and I am incredibly proud to be an alumni.