It is amazing what can happen in one week — in one week I have produced an audio project, a web story and a photo essay. I have met more deadlines this week working with Next Generation Radio than a month into one of my media classes at my university. I have learned about a semester’s worth of material in this one week. Needless to say, my short time spent in Oklahoma City was a memorable experience.

As a rising senior at the University of Tulsa, I have spent three years as a Communications major. I was confident that I had learned about the world of media. Technically, this is true. I have spent class lectures reviewing the era of the printing press and its implications on the society and future societies. I have written many essays connecting the introduction of the television and the introduction of social media as a method for familial connections. I have pondered the value of media within our society and if we could survive without it.

While I have learned the history of the evolution of media in our society, I have not spent time actually applying this knowledge. Participating with the Next Generation Radio program I have learned the key differences between print or online media and broadcasting style writing. I have zero experience writing for online media and was constantly learning new techniques and making plenty of mistakes. Everyday my mentor, Rachel Hubbard, gave me suggestions and tips that guided me through the stressful time of piecing a non-narrated audio story together. Her knowledge, based off of over 10 years of experience, gave me an extraordinary perspective and advantage. I was able to soak in real-life knowledge that will help me in any future media endeavors. As daunting as the project appeared at the beginning of the week, now that I have made it to the end I can see my growth.

Moving forward I am confident that I will be able to tackle any online media writing project. I am grateful for the experiences good and challenging and for the people that I have met on this awesome journey.