I was walking around campus looking for interviews for a podcast I was working on called, “Mad Melodies.” I was expecting to get a lot of interviews because we were talking about music; college students love music, it’s our way of getting through school. I came across Jameia Boone, and she was so willing to talk to me about music. She was hilarious and gave the best responses even when she thought otherwise. I swapped numbers with her, hoping we could link again, and we never did. Her schedule was wild, but so was mine.
When I received the email saying I made it into the first round of NPR’s NextGenRadio Newsroom, I was excited. I noticed that the second part of the application was to pitch an idea of “home” from another person’s perspective, and that’s when I started to worry. All I could think about was how the project would start during finals week, and that was going to make it harder for me to find a subject. I tried asking strangers, and friends of friends, but for some reason either people were afraid of what would be published, or they were not interested. I was getting fairly close to the deadline for my pitch and then, it happened. I ran into Jameia once more. I knew she was busy, but I asked anyway. By the hand of God, she said yes, and she gave me any and every bit of time she had to spare.
On my first day working for NPR’s NextGenRadio, I felt like I was in an actual newsroom. There was this sweet and gentle introduction to the team and then BANG! the horses were off. Meeting after meeting, assignment after assignment. I don’t think I have ever stared at a screen this much, and that was all on day one. The days followed with more meetings, more assignments, and demonstrations on how to work with new software. A true crash course. Everyone on the team was so sweet and so patient even in a fast-paced environment. It was amazing, my story turned out amazing, I even have some people shedding tears. NextGenRadio had a written, visual, and audio representation that went with my story, and the illustration that came with it was astonishing. There were so many talented people in the room helping me tell my story.
One week — one week is all it took to work with some of the most amazing and hardworking people that journalism has to offer. NextGenRadio’s Gulf States Newsroom brought me connections and friends I will never forget. This opportunity pushed me and supported me to become a better journalist, and I will never forget this opportunity.
“Jameia’s Psyche,” a haiku by Marissa about what home means to Jameia Boone:
A home with no bounds
Imagination can flow
She lives in her mind