Every time I log into my email, I have unread messages from universities, promoting their school and programs as ?the right one for me.?

As a senior in high school, the concept of choosing and attending college has been very prevalent these past few months. However, the fact that I’m 17 and about to ?live on my own,? does not make the notion any less daunting.

Pamphlets fill my mailbox and emails fill my inbox, but deciding a career is of the utmost importance. Pressured to commit to a major and stick with it, I began to search for an interest of mine that I would enjoy studying and possibly even find the career fulfilling.

I’ve podcasted for The Feather since my freshman year and have really enjoyed giving The Feather a ?voice.? I loved the vocal aspect of the activity and began to investigate careers that were similar to podcasting. My attention turned to radio after being invited to the local Christian Talk station with Jim Patterson on behalf of The Feather‘s All-American honor. I realized that I was in my element behind the microphone and was energized to pursuit the idea.

After some talk, I pulled a connection through retired campus Physical Education Coach Scott Callisch, and I got to spend the morning at a local radio station, 93.7 Kiss Country with hosts Jody Jo Mize, Greg Lane and ?Gnarley? Charley Fitzgerald, Oct. 17.

I arrived at the studio around 7 a.m., and followed Jody Jo up to the studio. She gave a tour of the floor and all the other stations and offices, then introduced me to the rest of the team, who showed me different aspects and techniques of the profession.

?It’s important to see how the job and station actually works,? Mize said. ?You can learn all you want from books, papers, listening, but until you see for yourself what the job is and how all of the parts fit together, you won’t know what to expect.?

Being in the station helped me understand what the career entailed, and what I need to prepare myself. Firsthand, I saw the way the room functions, the jobs of each individual and how there is so much more than just speaking into a microphone, including adds, collecting valid information, editing audio clips, planning each day’s show and prerecording for the weekend.

I realized how vulnerable a radio broadcaster becomes once on air. Every word and joke, are susceptible to scrutiny or can be taken out of context. However, the hosts also take phone calls from listeners agreeing with what they say, encouraging their work, or participating in their challenges.

?My job is to make sure the listener feels like they are my friend,? Mize said. ?I want them to know I am here to be there advocate if they need one. I am here to make them feel important and noticed. I love being able to touch lives in an immediate way. You can impact someone’s life with just one positive statement on the air, but you can ruin a person’s day in the same fashion.?

My passion for radio intensified after experiencing the station through watching the way the room functioned, and talking and learning from the hosts. I learned to be more cognizant of what I write in a podcast, down to the detail of every word and description I use and have since payed more attention to word choice and phrasing things in a way that’s more captivating.

I’ve learned to value the importance of personal connection with listeners. Though I already knew it was consequential, seeing professionals making themselves vulnerable and accessible to the community reenforced what I’ve learned as I saw it being applied outside of my own classroom and adviser.

Being validated by the personalities really inspired to me to get even more motivated with pursuing my future career. Off-air, we talked about the work required in the field, and also the work required just to get in it. They commended my efforts and pursuit of excellence in my worth ethic and products, and progress and also gave me advice on other opportunities and strategies to take advantage of, which has inspired me to take better of advantage of my experiences to share. They encouraged me to work hard and don’t give up” — a phrase that I have heard before and spent a week working at this past summer.

Having the experience behind me has helped not only in podcasting, but also when sifting through colleges. I know I want to pursue radio broadcast, so colleges will a well-established and advanced program are right for me. I’m so thankful for my experience as I can now enter a college-level program prepared and anxious to learn. Now, with a better grasp on my future, those hoards of emails don’t seem quite so daunting.

For more information on podcasting, visit Stobbe’s podcast, Where the Brooke flows or senior Adam Wood’s podcast, WoodsTalk.

For more columns, read the Nov. 10 article, Clay Mix exhibit conveys homey atmosphere .

PODCAST: On the road with Jody Jo: 93.7 FM, Oct. 21, 2011–