This week set a high bar for the kind of people and spaces I want to work with. I know that this was a unicorn experience and that not all professional spaces will be as collaborative, giving and understanding as Next Generation Radio, but I commit to carrying these qualities with me as I move along in my career.

The relationship my mentor, Jenny Hamel, and I developed this week could not have been more perfect. From the first dinner we had (which was meant for us to just meet each other) she started pouring out all her wisdom on me—tips on getting a job, networking, etc. Jenny would call me to check on my progress, ask me questions, share ideas, give me updates, and just make sure I was doing okay. She made it easy for me to learn and gain confidence in what I was doing.

Jenny and I did all of our audio recording on Monday, the first day of the training. We drove to Downtown Los Angeles, chased our interviewee at his soccer practice to capture sound, and almost got locked out of the lot Jenny had parked in. Thankfully, everything worked out in the end.

When our sound engineer, Drew Jostad, was helping Jenny and I mix our audio piece, he paused to share that one of the clips gave him flashbacks of him and his little sister. I was so happy. That was one of my favorite moments this week because it reminded me of why I like to do this.  There is something special about people connecting over stories, without even knowing each other.

I am very grateful for this experience and am very proud to have formed part of such a giving and efficient project that is Next Generation Radio.