I started at EOU Winter 2011 with no clue what I was doing, or what I wanted to do. What I did know was that I was sick of cooking other people’s food and doing their dishes. I mean, I can barely do that stuff on my own. As I was registering for classes my ex-boyfriend convinced me to take the FM broadcasting class. That first week of classes made me pretty nervous. I was a 24 year old freshman who hadn’t stepped foot in a classroom in seven years.

The first night of FM broadcasting I walked in I recognized one of the men standing up front. That man was the program director Logan Bagetto, aka DJ Roach. He had been in my fifth grade class in Prairie City, which hadn’t been a super great time. I was immediately thrown into a panic attack, and almost walked out of the class. Now, I couldn’t be happier that I didn’t. DJ Roach became my mentor, and I learned a lot from him. Later on that term there was a major blow up amongst the administration, over what I was never quite certain, but after the incident Logan became station manager. I can absolutely guarantee that I would not still be at KEOL, EOU, or still in La Grande if it wasn’t for him.

I made it through the class and became board certified. That first show on my own was scary and intense, so much so that I threw up before the show even started. As the term and the year continued I got better. I started finding my radio personality, working with voice inflection, and discovering new music. The year ended and the administration changed hands. Rocky became the station manager, with Chris as the program director. During those first two years I spent most of the time trying to figure out my future, spending little time, (none to be exact) paying attention to the local music scene.

That changed with KEOL Fest. I was thrown face first into local music, and I fell in love. I had never thought that a podunk town in Eastern Oregon could offer such a refreshingly diverse music culture. I met bands like Bitterroot, Sum People, Sasparilla plus so many more, and finally I felt like I’d found my place in La Grande. While this was happening I was finally starting to figure out who I was, and what I wanted from my life. I have KEOL to thank for that. It forced me to go out, talk to people, and interact with musicians.

Rocky graduated and a new station manager stepped in. Saying the station manager and I didn’t get along is a huge understatement. Now, I cannot claim that I was completely innocent in how things went down; I take responsibility for my end. Because of it all, I felt it was best to step away from the station to avoid causing more unneeded drama, all the while still cultivating my musical connections. I am happy to call most of these musicians my friends now.

Now it’s 2015, and it’s my senior year. I’ve learned a lot about many things; public speaking, interviewing skills and I’ve gained my confidence. I’m not graduating this year, so I look forward to having more time at the station. It is my hope that I will continue to learn and grow, and hopefully help out some of the fledgling DJ’s along the way. We shall see what the future holds.