通过无线电波找到她的激情

一次偶然的实习点燃了她对广播的热情, Jenny Valliere ’13 did everything she could to succeed in the broadcast world.

MMU: How did you decide that you wanted to pursue a career in journalism? 这个领域有什么吸引你的地方?

JV: This field allows me to serve the community on a daily basis. Whether it's informing or entertaining, we work to make sure we're there for our listeners. There's a saying for people who work in journalism/broadcasting, “当你跑到地下室避难的时候, 我们正往车站跑去上班." I remember an email I received from our program director when there was a huge snow storm one year. 大多数企业倒闭了, but our program director told us to leave enough time to get to work, and that there were emergency snacks in the kitchen if we got snowed in.

是什么吸引你来慈悲山的? 你为什么选择MMU的项目而不是其他项目?

JV: The small class sizes that provided more individual attention. I also have a grandmother who attended Mount Mercy back when it was a junior college, 她是MMU的志愿销售员. 三所大学访问之后, I realized it wasn't just my grandmother trying to sell me on following her footsteps. I truly felt a comfort about being at Mount Mercy each time I visited.

MMU: What organizations were you a part of during college? 他们对你有什么影响?

"I had several news articles and video work from my experience with the MMU Times that set me a part from other candidates, 让我们当时的项目主管惊叹不已."

JV: 我希望我有时间参与更多的活动, 但随着时间的流逝, I was a member of the 慈悲山时代 and the theatre department. I was involved in a few different plays and musicals at MMU. 慈悲山时代对我的影响很大. It gave me the portfolio I needed to impress my current employer. I had several news articles and video work from my experience with the MMU Times that set me a part from other candidates, 让我们当时的项目主管惊叹不已. 至于我对戏剧的参与, I gained more experience developing confidence and a personality that is used every day as the afternoon DJ.

MMU: Was there any one faculty or staff member, or a particular class, that impacted you?

JV: There were a few different faculty members who impacted my experience at Mount Mercy, but the two who really helped me through graduation were my advisors and professors, 大卫·克洛普和乔·谢勒. David Klope was someone who was very understanding and worked with me to make sure I was right on track for graduation. 我在大学时做过两份兼职, 除了实习之外, 所以有些晚上我会睡到凌晨3点.m. 完成作业. After being transparent, David Klope extended those deadlines for me a couple of different times.

Joe Sheller was the one who suggested I intern at Z102.9. Through the MMU Times, we took a trip to the Iowa College Media Association. It was during a tour at a local radio station in Des Moines that I sparked interest in radio. Initially, I was going to pursue television broadcasting. 如果不是乔, 我可能不会考虑广播, 我得把我今天的成就归功于他. 我是否去了另一所大学, I'm not sure I would have been able to build the relationships with my professors that have been pivotal to my college career.

MMU:你完成过实习吗? 它们对你的职业轨迹有何影响?

JV: I completed one internship over the summer of 2012 with Z102.9. It led me to the career I have today and all of my professional accomplishments. 实习结束后，Z102.他们决定雇我做兼职，培训我做直播. I covered holidays and vacations for full-timers, in addition to working weekend overnights. 通过我的实习, I was able to gain the experience I needed in my career field, 我很快就对广播产生了兴趣.

MMU: Tell me about your career after graduation- what's your proudest moment? 你认为你可以做得更好的一件事是什么?

JV: While working part-time, I accepted any and every on-air shift I could get my hands on at Z102.9. 大学毕业后, 有了通宵的全职职位, 项目主管鼓励我申请. 果然, 在一个周日下午两点毕业后, I started as the full-time overnight DJ at midnight that same day. For fifteen months, I lived a vampire lifestyle, working midnight to 5:30 a.m. 然后我被提升到下午开车, which eventually led to becoming the music director and assistant program director. In December of 2019, I was announced as the new program director of Z102.9. 我最自豪的时刻是成为项目主管, 因为拥有这个头衔的女性并不多, 尤其是在我这个年纪. 对我来说，这是一个打破障碍的时刻. One thing I could have done better was work-life balance. I wanted to succeed so badly, I was neglecting “me-time” and my social life. 

MMU:你如何看待讲好故事的能力? How do you use this skill in your current position as program director with KZIA?

JV: 讲故事是造就伟大广播的要素! As a program director, it's our job to make sure our listeners are engaged. The ability to tell a good story contributes to our listener engagement and desire to come back. It creates a connection between the listener and the person on air.

"The ability to tell a good story contributes to our listener engagement and desire to come back. It creates a connection between the listener and the person on air."

MMU: What's one thing you wish you would have known going into your freshman year of college? What's one thing you would have wanted to know before entering the job market?

JV: I wish I would have known to sign up for as many internships as possible. I truly lucked out on hitting the jackpot with my one and only internship. 然而，我知道并不是每个人都会这样. The only way to know if you're going to enjoy a career, is to work in that field. Internships are a "no-strings-attached" way to go about finding what it is you love and what you thought you'd love, 但没有.

Before entering the job market, I wish I would have known that it's okay to be rejected. I think rejection is so feared sometimes, that we don't always shoot for our biggest career goals. You might send out hundreds of demos and resumes and never get a call back. Don't let it discourage you, because it's never personal.