For the past two years KFFR has partnered with East Grand School District and the Homegrown Talent Initiative (HTI) to host an intern from Middle Park High School and West Grand High School. Past interns have included Zoe Wagner, Tyler Weatherwax, Lane Bjerken, Sam Ewert, and Connor Murdoch.
If you have a student who would be interested in working as an intern at KFFR please contact us at info@kffr.org. We love community radio, and we’re sure you will too.
Rachel Williams from West Grand High School became the first intern from the west end of the county to learn at KFFR. She has produced community calendars for the high school, helped with the halloween show, and has supported the new student radio station at Middle Park High School.
Listen to her community calendar recording below:
Listen to a mashup of Rachel’s work at KFFR through the HTI Program.
Radio is a very complicated and interesting profession. For some it can be a lifetime career, for others it is a stepping stone, and for even more it can be a hobby that connects them to their community. My experiences interning at KFFR have taught me much about radio, the people around us who care about it, as well as assisted me in making progress towards my career. It has been a great teaching experience, a nerve-wracking challenge at times, and overall fun to be a part of.
I doubt I would have enjoyed this experience as much if not for my two supervisors, Ryan Wilson and Steve Skinner. They accommodated my school schedule, challenged my skills in audio production, taught me the ins and outs of being live on radio and so, so much more. Throughout my internship, in the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year, my supervisors provided constructive criticism on my work and helped me grow my skills and work portfolio. So much so that I am certain I will draw from these experiences, big and small, throughout my life and career.
During my internship, I learned how to broadcast music and community announcements, even producing community calendars and performing at a holiday event. Events and meetings at the station helped me meet and connect with some of the wonderful people supporting it. I was taught about the behind-the-scenes of interviews with another newcomer and explored new-to-me artists while live on air. Every time I went into the studio it was filled with lively people, music, and experiences.
Personally, even just spending time producing calendars has been a fruitful experience, as it has constantly added to my voice acting portfolio–a good development towards my career as a voice actor. Outside of my usual activities at the station, my supervisor, Steve Skinner, aided in the production of sample audio clips as materials for my voice over demo reel. He helped guide me through all the stages of production, giving me a much better understanding of the industry standards for audio production as a whole.
Through this internship, my understanding of the radio, the community, and my career have expanded with the help of skilled, experienced, and overall enjoyable individuals ranging from the DJs to the avid fans of KFFR. I have further developed skills and strengths that I am sure to use throughout the rest of my life through fun challenges and experiences better connecting me to our local community. This opportunity has been invaluable to me in more ways than one, for which I will ever be grateful to those that allowed me to make the most of it. I look forward to continuing my work with the station and hope that others continue to discover this facet of the community that helps color our slice of Colorado so vibrantly.
During the first quarter of 2022, Connor Murdoch joined the ranks of interns who learned the ropes of community radio. A quick learner, Connor became one of the most prolific student interns in KFFR history. From PSAs and underwriting spots to youth IDS and his own radio show, Connor became the face of the program.
Listen to Connor’s parting interview with Station Director Steve Skinner and Marketing Manager Ryan Wilson.
