by Perla Gomez
I felt very honored to have been chosen as one of the participants for the NPR boot camp, however, I also felt very intimidated because I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I knew it was going to be a long week, but I also knew it was going to be rewarding.
Radio is something I've been interested in but never really pursued because I thought I was mostly a visual person. I pride myself in telling stories through pictures or video, but I'm so glad I got this experience because now I know I'm a triple threat. I can tell stories through all forms of media and I know that will benefit me in my career.
I think this experience has been one of the most beneficial experiences I have had because I've learned so much from my mentor. Brenda really knows what she is doing, she's confident in what she does and she does it well. I think she is the perfect match for me because that's something I lack. I'm very indecisive when it comes to cutting and adding things to a story. Brenda helped me make cuts without looking back and I think we made a solid story, it's very clean and simple. I usually try to go big and sometimes get carried away to the point that my stories become confusing or distracting from my main point. Brenda has really helped me stay focused on the main story. She's taught me a lot of editing techniques I know I will continue to use in the future. She's great!
I also really enjoy working with the other mentors, Tracy, Doug, and all the students. They had amazing feedback but most of all they all had great attitudes. I feel like it really made this experience better and exciting. I always looked forward to showing up and seeing everyone. I wasn't familiar with a lot of the students or mentors so it's always nice making new friends and networking.
This is a great networking opportunity because you meet people who work in the business already or have connections to people who can potentially hire you, so that's great motivation to work hard. You also work with great students who, I have no doubt, will make it big in this career. I think my favorite part about boot camp is all of the talented people I got work with.
I can't think of anything I'd change about the program. I think it is well organized. If I had the opportunity, I would definitely do it again.
Thanks for the opportunity,
Perla Gomez