Today was a really exciting day for me. Today I went to the studio of the Dalhousie University radio station CKDU for an orientation session on how to become a volunteer and programmer. Over the next few weeks I will be volunteering my time there and learning the ins and outs of broadcast radio. Why is this exciting? It is exciting because when I am prepared and proven my understanding of what I will be taught, I will be given the opportunity to work as a volunteer programmer; I will be on the radio!
To say that being on the radio has been a life long ambition would be too embellished. My vision has always been to do something in which I will get to reach out to as many people as possible. Growing up I was often told that I had a 'voice for radio' and though I laughed much of the time it turns out that perhaps people were not so wrong about their comments. Right now I am enrolled at Eastern College taking a Public Relations course and though I am receiving an absolutely wonderful education there (and I am very glad I ended up there but I will get to that later), it was not my first choice.
I had originally applied to another college for a Radio and Television program but my application was denied. Incidentally, my application to that same school for their Public Relations program was also denied. Eastern College however, seemed elated to have me. With such positive encouragement from my family, friends and the faculty from the school, I packed my bags and moved to Halifax. To help speed things up (and because I will be posting in depth posts about some of these things later) I will skip through September to now quite quickly.
I started school at the end of September. In mid-October I joined the Occupy Nova Scotia (ONS) occupation of Grand Parade Square. It was here where I first had the opportunity to experience what it was like to be "on the air". I quickly became one of the many spokespersons for ONS and found myself in front of many television cameras and in several radio studios. Through the entire experience, I found that I was always well received and was given praise by several experienced studio workers of CBC radio. Later I would get to hear many positive responses from listeners who phoned in later including one lady who proclaimed "John Thibeau for mayor!!" at the end of her call. The same warm reception was felt from my peers, classmates and instructors.
That brings us to this past Monday. I had been unsure of what direction to take with my apparent natural ability to speak, my skills being developed in public relations and communications, and my desire to be able to reach a large audience. During our morning ritual of conversation, I asked my instructor what she thought. Her response sent me to the CKDU website. I just want to state this so that she knows that her work as an educator and instructor is appreciated and valued. Thank you Debra Wells-Hopey for helping me find some direction.
So again, today was an exciting day. Today I took the first step down a road that leads to a future where the work I do is also something I love and something I am passionate about. Don't worry, I will not stop blogging. Radio will just become another way for me to share with people; a way to inform; a way to inspire; a way to educate those who may seek it. Thank you for finding me worth seeking.
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