Working EQ

The Pentagon:

1. I have an idea of what to really expect in my future career, and I found a mentor that will be able to help me throughout the year. Another thing I've gained are connections to other people in radio and other forms of media. In general, I can say I got a personal, one-on-one experience and I've gotten to know the aspects of production, creation, and performance of a live radio show. Thanks to my mentor, I also found more websites that involve coaching and learning to be a DJ from an actual professional who's even in the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.
2. My interview with my mentor really did help me find out what will be helpful to learn when attending college classes. I also learned about what it really takes to be a Radio DJ. I learned that skills like multi-tasking and scheduling are very essential to working in media, specifically radio. I've also learned that social skills and improvisation are important to interacting with listeners who call in on a daily basis. I've also learned that radio is just a small part of all that makes up media, and that I should also try to get into other aspects like TV or internet media.
3. I think that the mentorship has worked the best, because of the personal experience. I believe it's two very different things to just do research alone and to do research along with personal experiences that allow you to understand the research you're gathering. The interview was also very helpful because not only is it a great piece of research, it's also a source of information based on the experiences of real professionals who have been in their careers for a very long time.
4. One thing that hasn't worked are the research checks. The research checks are necessary for the senior project, but sometimes they can be hindering as well because most of my research has provided me with historical and statistical information. Although this information is helpful and needed, it doesn't really help someone understand real life experiences from a professional's point of view. As stated earlier, I found a website used by my mentor to help train DJ's in Radio Disney. I also hope to talk to and shadow more DJ's throughout the year so I can better understand the radio field and find better sources of information besides the internet.
5. (a) How does radio have an impact on today's media?
   How long and hard is the process on becoming a DJ?
   How far can a college education take you in broadcast media?
   Are there higher positions in radio besides being a personality (DJ), if so what are they and what is it like being in such position?
   How does journalism play a role in what a personality does?
   Can internet radio be a good field to get into as well?

(b) One of my main goals is to gain as much experience and connections as I can. I really want to get into broadcast journalism, and one thing I learned from my mentors, is that it's not only about what you know, but it's also about who you know. Broadcast journalism in general is about knowledge, experience, and connections to as many people as you know in the industry. 

Another goal is to find out what exactly I should study and learn after leaving high school so that I can be well prepared for finding a position after leaving college.

(c) One connection I want to try to get in touch with again is with the 95.9 station, also known as "The Fish". I want to learn about how faith-based media can not only interact with viewers, but also support them emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. As a Christian, I believe that stations like 95.9 are very inspiring and motivational, as well as entertaining. What I enjoy about the station is that the programs are based on real-life situations of people and how faith, love, and support can help people through rough times. This to me, is one way journalism is put into action, because they're real events in people's lives that some people don't understand what it's like to be in. I really want to work in broadcast journalism and media that make great changes in peoples' lives, whether it be faith-based, news-based, or music-based. I would really enjoy shadowing some people from that station, along with my mentors in Radio Disney. I'm also interested in sports radio, so I think that talking to Scott McCarthy will be interesting, because it's very different from music-based radio.