Next Generation Radio Mentee Yuka Kondo interviews Iranian student Mohammad Reza Sadrian about his first days in America.
To be honest, I casually applied for Next Generation Radio because I didn’t have high expectations of being selected as a participant. I applied to the program just in case. So when I received the invitation by mail, I could not believe my eyes. I remember that I checked the email many times. But, at the same time, I was so worried about being selected because I was under a lot of pressure.
What I want to say the most is that the entire experience at the Next Generation Radio gave me confidence, and they help me realise that I don’t have to care about my status of being an international student.
I can say that what I learned from the boot camp is more than what I learned from my entire university experience in America with regards to confidence. Also, Next Generation Radio week was the most stressful and busiest week since I came to America.
I’m so appreciative to all people who participated in the boot camp to cheer me up. And I want to say thank you to my mentor Anh Nguyen Gray, who taught me a lot of skills, but also reminded me to be confident in myself. I’m sure I can overcome some setbacks in my future by reminding myself of my week-long experience with Next Generation Radio.
Also, because of the program, I now have an interest in producing audio even though I’ve been mostly focusing on visual communication and social media engagement.
Lastly, I have a message to students, especially international students, who are thinking whether you should apply to the program or not. I highly recommend you to apply with confidence. Don’t think about not having enough skills to qualify because you are international students. You don’t want to miss a great opportunity to improve both your journalistic skills and personal growth.
