A Simple Discussion

Ryan and Hannah's College Experience

Hannah Covington

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0:00 | 1:15:15

In this episode Ryan Stillwell and Hannah Covington talk about their college experience at Western Kentucky University while being on the spectrum.

SPEAKER_00

Hello and welcome back to another episode of a simple discussion. And this is Ryan here. And I have a po I have my partner Trom with me today.

SPEAKER_02

Hey, I'm glad to be back. This is not what we were going to be recording. We were originally going to record for my other podcast, which will be linked below, which is the Let's Talk podcast. Please subscribe to it. I would really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00

That's right. Listen to it. It's awesome. He basically talked about everything we talk about on here, but it's still really good.

SPEAKER_02

It's mainly pop culture based, and I get to talk about whatever I want.

SPEAKER_00

That's right. How have you been?

SPEAKER_02

Oh, I have been quite amazing. I've I finished basketball season finally.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02

I also survived Mac and Cheese Fest, which was very interesting.

SPEAKER_00

What was your favorite mac and cheese?

SPEAKER_02

Oh Kroger. Kroger always nails it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I love all mac and cheese. I mean, I love mac and cheese with bacon on it.

SPEAKER_02

I do too. But Kroger made a Kentucky hot brown thing, mac and cheese.

SPEAKER_00

Ooh, that actually sounds good.

SPEAKER_02

It was.

SPEAKER_00

You want to hear what I've been up to?

SPEAKER_02

Oh yeah. I want to hear the subbing stories.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so that's right. I've been I've done another job, which is substitute teaching for my school district. So the school district I went to, LaRue County. So I know a lot of the teachers there, which is a good thing in case I need them to get on the students for me, but I haven't needed them yet. I was I'm able to control the students myself. The first day I was really nervous. I'm gonna be honest.

SPEAKER_02

I don't blame you at all.

SPEAKER_00

I was like, I don't know what to do. The thing is, the teacher has lesson plans for you, so you can just go by that through the whole school day.

SPEAKER_02

And are you gonna be doing this m more until you find something? What is the deal?

SPEAKER_00

I am going to be doing this until I find something. I'm not in a hurry to find a radio job. I just hope it's somewhere around here so I can still be around my brother, you know.

SPEAKER_02

What grade are you mostly doing?

SPEAKER_00

It's elementary school and high school. I was nervous my first day of high school because I'm only a little older than them, so I don't know how they would react to someone who's a few years older than them taking care of them.

SPEAKER_02

I really don't blame you because I the high schoolers actually like me.

SPEAKER_00

The elementary schoolers like me. The thing about me probably is I'm more laid back to compare to the other subs. I feel like there are times I have to be serious and t sometimes I mess with the kids. I'm not gonna lie.

SPEAKER_02

I don't blame you because sometimes it's always good to joke around.

SPEAKER_00

I don't try to be one of those boring subs, if you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_02

Oh yeah, it's never fun to be boring.

SPEAKER_00

No, yeah, so I've been on spring break this week, so I've been mostly dealing with another podcast episode, which I don't want to talk about yet. I'm gonna be excited.

SPEAKER_02

I'm excited to listen to that episode.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. I'm just saying it's movie-based, so I feel like a lot of people will be into it.

SPEAKER_02

Hopefully. Especially if you like a certain genre.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02

I honestly something else I thought about is maybe you and Austin just do an episode by yourselves.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I was I was thinking about that. I mean, we're going to this bookstore, Austin and I. I don't know when this episode's coming out, but it's gonna be April 11th, which is Saturday in a couple days that when we're recording this. So we're going to a place called McKay's bookstore, and it's in Nashville.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. I've never heard of it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so it's a bookstore that has I'm excited because it's a bookstore that also has records, it has movies. There's also different instruments there, so it those will be cool to see. He says it's like a time machine.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

So I'm into that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_02

What are some things you're hoping to look for?

SPEAKER_00

Records. Nah, I'm kidding. Whatever I see, I mean, I'm into all kinds of music, so it's hard to say really. I'm into country pop rock, the oldies, like the old soul music and the Motown and Disco, all of that stuff. I'm into all kinds of music, I'm telling you.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. I'm practically doing nothing except probably reading and making sure my allergies don't drive me up a wall.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, that has been me this week as well. My allergies have been driving me crazy.

SPEAKER_02

And you know what's funny is when you texted me and canceled on Monday, I didn't realize we were recording that day.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

But I'm really excited because it'll be a very good round table that we've needed to do, which we haven't done in a while.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. And especially the topic we're going to talk about, which we're not going to tell you.

SPEAKER_02

We're not going to tell you. It just equals entertainment.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's all we could say. You know what I've seen, Hannah?

SPEAKER_02

What?

SPEAKER_00

We're almost at 500 downloads on a single session.

SPEAKER_02

I know that's so wild. And we've only been out two years.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and it's crazy. Sorry, but it's been crazy how many of the countries have been watching us, like outside of our country.

SPEAKER_02

I know, and I think it's because I decided to put it on Amazon Music.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's just cool. Like the two that are big right now is Spain and Vietnam. That's what I've seen.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I thought that was crazy. I'm like, we're English.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And we're and we're southern English.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, we're getting people that run with bulls, and oh, that's a that was a joke.

SPEAKER_02

Don't take that personally, people, but yeah, but I've been over to Spain.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. How was Spain?

SPEAKER_02

Uh I was dead tired, so I vaguely remember things.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02

I just remember I ate some good food and the floors were heated. We had been hopping countries for about almost three weeks at that point.

SPEAKER_00

Well, do you want to talk about what we're going to talk about?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, let's do it. This was not the plan topic, but we'll do uh I'd say let's talk about it because college graduation is coming up. Yeah, I will be almost out of college two years, one year for you.

SPEAKER_00

That's right. It it's crazy. It's almost a year in May.

SPEAKER_02

I've graduated and two years for me, and I feel like I'm getting semi-closer to the goal of being on air.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I would say I've gotten close a few times.

SPEAKER_00

Ooh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

What?

SPEAKER_00

Froggy?

SPEAKER_02

I'm still at Froggy. I I may have applied for a few positions in that building, and I'm might be trying to wiggle my way also back down to Bowling Green, possibly. It might be a couple more months on that end if that happens.

SPEAKER_00

I have thought about radio and I've thought about going back to Bowling Green. I didn't care, I don't care to drive back and forth. I mean, it's only an hour to drive there.

SPEAKER_02

But if you got the software, you could record from home.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

A lot of people do it that these days, by the way.

SPEAKER_00

I feel like that's where every radio station is gonna be going to in the next few years. I'm not gonna lie.

SPEAKER_02

That's being generous. I would say 15.

SPEAKER_00

Oh.

SPEAKER_02

That's just my thoughts and with talking with people.

SPEAKER_00

We're talking about how our college years went. I was just wondering, just right out of the gate, how did you hear about Western in the first place?

SPEAKER_02

Oh, this is a that's a hard one because I didn't hear about I didn't actually hear about Western until we were in the thick of it with my brother's cancer journey.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02

Because they kind of had already a plan in place and didn't tell me that I'd be going down to Western. And I was like, but I want to have the whole experience of looking at colleges. I remember just sitting there in Washington, DC at the time and going, Am I gonna get to look at colleges? So I I kind of knew about Western off and on through my childhood because my great aunt was very involved with Western. We even had a big red in a floral arrangement when she passed away last year.

SPEAKER_00

Awesome.

SPEAKER_02

I mean and guess what? I didn't let anybody else have it.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, so did you keep it?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I kept it. Oh, okay. He's gone now, but like we we brought it home, and my parents were not thrilled. That's the one bouquet we want I wanted.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02

But yeah, I heard about Western and that that was technically the only school they were looking at for me. But I looked at one other college, the Western.

SPEAKER_00

That was me as well. I've heard about Western for a long time because I wanted to be on radio since I was in middle school. I really wanted to go to a place that had a good broadcasting program in Western Kentucky was that. My freshman year, I was already committed to Western. So there was no other school. I just felt like Western was the place. And then a couple years later, they told me about the Kelly Autism Program. They meaning the instructional assistants at my school, they told me about it, and I was like, that even got me more interested in Western. So I thought of applying for the Kelly Autism Program, and they liked what all the other teachers said. We had to do letters of recommendations, and I picked two teachers, and they talked really well about me. And a couple months later we had a Zoom meeting, me and the Kelly Autism program, and they told me I got in.

SPEAKER_02

Mine was my parents helped me a lot through the applying and getting into cat process.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, yeah, my parents helped me out too.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I I got a lot of help with that. I think they did a lot of the behind the scenes work. They my mom had a lot of dead time when going back and forth from Lexington. And so I think that's when she filled it out.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02

My interview with them was actually in person.

SPEAKER_00

So the thing about me was this was during COVID. So this was 2021, which was I would say the peak of COVID. So that's why we had to do Zoom.

SPEAKER_02

I think mine was 2016.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so you were good.

SPEAKER_02

And the people who sat in on my interview, I think was Sarah, Peyton, not Mary Lloyd, I think Michelle and Mary Lloyd.

SPEAKER_00

Mary Lloyd sat in. Jonathan was at mine, Peyton, Sarah, and Michelle.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and there was another person who was on the cap staff at the time during my interview that was that you never met. I'm not gonna say his name because just for privacy.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and then a few months later, we have different stories, but the Kelly Autism Program helped us move in. What was the your story about that?

SPEAKER_02

Well, mine was back in 2017.

SPEAKER_00

Do you remember?

SPEAKER_02

Somewhat. Somewhat. I remember we had to distract describe the vehicle at the time because they were like, okay, what vehicle are you taking? Well, it was my now car, which is my outback, and trying to to describe an outback is actually quite hilarious because we had to give a colour and all this, but we packed that car to the brim, and I still have some of that stuff. Maybe I don't remember, but I did enjoy getting to move in and having a room to myself.

SPEAKER_00

I did too. I actually told this story. I don't know if you remember this, but I gave a speech my last year for the Kelly Autism program, so I've told this story. So again, there were at mine, Nathan, Jonathan, Austin, Kim, Michelle, and Peyton were there. That's what I remember. And I remember taking my stuff to my room, and I unlocked the door, and I'm gonna be honest with you, I shed some man tears. I'm not gonna lie.

SPEAKER_02

It's okay to shed some tears.

SPEAKER_00

I think that was the time I was realizing I was leaving my family, but I knew I was gonna see them again, but it was still hard. Like I remember Michelle had to go talk to me for a little bit outside because I was just really emotional that day.

SPEAKER_02

I think I was more overwhelmed.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I mean, there was a mix of stuff for me, but I just remember mom asking me, Brian, are you sure you want to go to college? And I was just watching everybody unpack all of my stuff, helping them set up my bed and stuff, and I told my mom, I think I'm where I need to be.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, the I didn't get emotional until after being there a week.

SPEAKER_00

I tell people if they're going to college, the first couple weeks is tough.

SPEAKER_02

Abs absolutely. I feel like I was lucky because my family still lived in the same state as me.

SPEAKER_00

I've that's me too. And the best part was the second week. That was when the Kelly Autism Program has these things called socials. So we got to meet everybody, and I think that's what made it better, just meeting everybody who were in the Kelly Autism program.

SPEAKER_02

I don't think you got to meet me your first semester because I was still living at home.

SPEAKER_00

I met you my first year.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Did you come in in 2021?

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

I don't think I came back to on person campus until that spring because I think I yeah, I lived at home for about nine months during COVID.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And did highlight school.

SPEAKER_00

And I remember the first week, I mean the second week, I'm sorry, it was PBS recruiting, and I was doing all that. I was doing the training for it, and I tried the last thing was like editing videos, and the he's the executive director now, Jordan Ba Jordan Basham, he would email you to say if you got in or not. He emailed me back and it said I got in, but the logistics coordinator was not giving me clear directions about how to get in to like stuff for PBS. That's crazy. That year I didn't even get to work for PBS.

SPEAKER_02

And honestly, that is the smartest decision. I'm gonna be honest, and I've told this to a lot of people. I tell them don't work your first year of college if you can, because you're being thrown a lot of things, and I tell this to people who are not on the spectrum as well. Of if you are lucky and you have people who can give you money throughout your first year, don't take a job, get through your your first year of college, and then maybe think about getting a part-time job on campus or off campus.

SPEAKER_00

True. I'm glad I got that job though a couple years later.

SPEAKER_02

So I loved working on campus to a degree.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I liked it.

SPEAKER_02

I didn't have any problems, but I know I've heard about yours, but yeah, it it's its own episode, and I I feel ready to talk about it, but I don't know if I want the world to know. Because I feel like I'm gonna get bombarded with text from people in my media industry down there going, I can't believe I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_00

I'm gonna be honest with you. I felt like I was making friends with people the same major as me the second semester. Because so my story was I had I took basic TV production my second semester. That's what changed everything because you're in this lab. So they divide you the classes, like the class, they divide you in half, and you have lab later on, and you get to go to that lab.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, mine was like on a Monday night or like a Monday afternoon, and I I didn't like having it in the on the Monday afternoon because I had to go straight to work right after.

SPEAKER_00

Mine was Wednesday, and I felt like I had a great group of people, and we just got along instantly that first that first week.

SPEAKER_02

Were we in the same basic TV class or that was radio? Oh, that was radio. Dang it, I I get on confused.

SPEAKER_00

Nah, you're all good. Funny story is basic TV production. Our last week we didn't have to go to our lab. So guess what we did? What? Oh, because we did we did all the final projects already, so you have to do a final project at N T V production, which was a 30-second commercial.

SPEAKER_02

Mine mine was something different.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay. But anyways, we've already done all the commercials, we didn't have to go back to lab.

SPEAKER_02

And so that's nice.

SPEAKER_00

You know where we went? Where we went bowling.

SPEAKER_02

Dang, that sounds like more fun than what we did on our last day because I think we still had some on the last day.

SPEAKER_00

Brian did not go with us, if you were wondering.

SPEAKER_02

He should have.

SPEAKER_00

We wanted him to come, but he wouldn't. It was a fun time. We had dinner afterwards as well. Yeah, that was a great group of people.

SPEAKER_02

My group was very interesting for that class because my broadcasting degree is not my first degree, by the way. I actually have two bachelor degrees, and I surprise people when I say that because they go, Wow, you're a natural for broadcasting and all this. I'm like, Well, yeah, I also have a history and religious studies degree.

SPEAKER_00

People say uh I'm good for broadcasting as well.

SPEAKER_02

I had a harder time figuring out where I wanted to be with my first degree, by the way. I started out in kinesiology. Oh, yeah, I know. I thought I wanted to go into like physical therapy, dietetics work. I took one kinesiology class, could not pass it for the life of me. And I dropped that to just doing like HMD work, did that for a year, and that didn't work out, and that's when I traded for history. So it took me about a year and a half to figure out where I where I needed to be.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02

And then and then after history, I just rolled straight into broadcasting.

SPEAKER_00

Do you think broadcasting was a great move for you?

SPEAKER_02

After getting my history and religious studies degree, yes, because actually I didn't know what I was gonna do with my history degree, by the way. I was I was in my last year of my history degree, history and religious studies, and my parents asked me, so what are you gonna do with this history degree? I said, I don't know. I did the CAP Summer program and they put me at PBS with a couple people you know. Yeah, one of them being destiny, and then I don't know if you knew Ian.

SPEAKER_00

I did not know Ian.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, it was us three there, and that's when I knew I did the public radio side, I knew that's where I wanted to be because I love telling people stories, being creative, and I was like, this is a route I want to go. And I later learned I needed a broadcasting degree to do that, which is kind of interesting because I started out PBS Realm and here I am doing local radio with with music.

SPEAKER_00

Do you remember your second year of college?

SPEAKER_02

Well, it started out interesting, I can tell you that, but the rest of it I don't really remember. I just remember within that second year I figured out I didn't want to do HMD route. I started in history, dyed my hair. I at the beginning of my second year, dyed my hair blue, Kentucky blue, because why not? Because I had lost my grandfather before that second year started, and we forgot to put blue in his hair, so I decided, hey, I'll just turn my hair blue. And it's not the first time I've had my hair blue since then. I've had it blue one other time.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. My second year, there wasn't really I Just remember the first semester, them coming up. I mean, Kelly Autism program coming up to me about the David Brinkley student fellowship program, which is PBS. And I had to think about it and I was like, Yes, I'll do this. I'll try to get me more experience. And that process took a little bit. That whole year I just remember it was trying to get into PBS. And it wasn't until finals week I had that interview.

SPEAKER_02

Was was that back in 2023?

SPEAKER_00

Yes, it was the end of my second year, so it was spring twenty twenty-three, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I was like I had just barely started my first year of my second degree at that point.

SPEAKER_00

And then I just remembered doing the interview with them. It was like American Idol, I'm not gonna lie.

SPEAKER_02

Um Yeah, and I kept checking on you and Chase during that time.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, because Chase was going in too.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, you guys were both literally stressed, and I was like going back and forth seeing how you guys were doing while dealing with my own mess with leaving P PBS just suddenly and trying to to survive the Tony Rose mourning show, also.

SPEAKER_00

Oh yeah, that was the same year.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, Lord. Wait, maybe that was maybe that was my last year in 2023. Lord, the years blend in college, I tell you.

SPEAKER_00

They do, but I remember I did the interview with them, and just three hours later they told me I got the job.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, you you were so stressed about it. Like I'd say, so when are you getting here? And you're like, I don't know, and it's driving me up a wall.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, because it was a whole year it was going on.

SPEAKER_02

You must have started it when I started my broadcasting degree path after graduating in 2022.

SPEAKER_00

So I started in November actually.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I was barely alive and still checking in on you and Chase. I made sure y'all were being taken care of.

SPEAKER_00

That was mostly my third year, anyways. PBS getting to film a lot of games and my favorite to film was basketball. You get to film more basketball games because it's men and women's basketball. So I got used to filming basketball. I think that's why I was into filming that.

SPEAKER_02

See, I worked mainly like the games from the master control room perspective, so it was very easy for me.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, it's it's different though. The producer and director get on you.

SPEAKER_02

Oh yeah. I don't know. I got to hear some of the back parts. I'm like, I'm glad I'm not in that truck right now because it sounds horrible.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I didn't really get into the truck until my last year actually.

SPEAKER_02

I never went into the truck because I just was master control room after I left public radio realm. And one thing I do want to mention when I was at public radio, because I don't talk about it much, and people are actually utterly surprised when I talk to my music colleagues. They go, wait, you did public radio for a year. I'm like, Yeah, I get that all the time. And I'm like, Yeah, I did public radio.

SPEAKER_00

And I think that was the year we became closer because we were doing radio at the time, I think.

SPEAKER_02

No, public radio I did before then. We got close to maybe, yeah, you may be right. I don't remember.

SPEAKER_00

We got closer doing basic radio production.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, we did, but we started getting to know each other when you were a freshman doing the game nights.

SPEAKER_00

Yep.

SPEAKER_02

Basic radio. But I took I did my public radio stint my last year, which was 2021, going into 2022. I got to do a lot of amazing stories. I got to do a story on the Afghan situation in South Central Kentucky. That was really cool. I just loved getting to help get people back into the Kentucky Museum was my favorite stuff I got to do because the last thing I like about the radio is making people laugh. Oh yeah. Public radio is more serious, but once I started my broadcasting path, left the PBS realm and went local radio route, I saw how much more fun local music is and getting to talk with listeners and going to events. Sorry, woo-hoo, I didn't go to any events, but I was just trying to survive to survive my last semester.

SPEAKER_00

And I remember that semester of my junior year, the spring semester, we started a podcast that's called A Simple Discussion.

SPEAKER_02

Which is this podcast, which is so wild.

SPEAKER_00

That was my junior year. We did that. I think that was your last year.

SPEAKER_02

My last semester, and we're the last two surviving until we get down to Bowling Green. I'm hoping to get back down to Bowling Green and I can keep it running to a degree.

SPEAKER_00

I feel like when we're in bowling green, we could get more people because they're the people who know more about a simple discussion, if you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and some of my people up here are starting to get to know it really well because of how much I talk about my editing and putting these together. Some of my coworkers have actually started to listen to the episodes.

SPEAKER_00

People around here are listening to. It's just, I feel like people who you've known for a long time, that'll get you more people listening to the podcast.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_00

Again, I just think it would be cool interviewing celebrities. I mean, it would just be cool filming. I mean, interviewing people like what you've talked about re we've talked about this a lot, like some of the people from Love on the Spectrum.

SPEAKER_02

I know. I just literally saw a news thing that one of the OG couples just broke up. Yeah, that's sad. One was ready for marriage and the other wasn't. I was like, dang.

SPEAKER_00

I feel like that's a big thing with people on the spectrum.

SPEAKER_02

And I'm I was very surprised because I was like, why weren't they on this this season that just came out? And it makes sense now.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Even though I'm still working through the newest season, by the way. You haven't watched the show, have you? No, you should watch the show at some point.

SPEAKER_00

I should, but I'm busy watching other stuff, and I'm just busy doing other stuff.

SPEAKER_02

That's totally fair. You're missing out. That's all I'm saying.

SPEAKER_00

I'll probably watch it in the near future. You never know.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, because I I'm at least halfway through the newest season and I'm taking a pause break. I have mixed feelings about this season. So that's all I'm gonna say.

SPEAKER_00

So what about? Well, we basically talked about your last year, but do you want to hear about my last year in college?

SPEAKER_02

I'm gonna mention something real fast about my last year that people don't realize of why my last year was so crazy and I was barely alive. If you saw me out in public, number one, I was just barely surviving that 10-week internship, and sometimes I felt like I was falling asleep at socials. If you saw me that fall 2023 semester and I was at a social, there's a solid chance I was almost about to fall asleep because I had gotten up at 4 30 that morning.

SPEAKER_00

That was D93, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_02

That was D93, and then I told Alan, I said, I'm not gonna do a second internship. Yeah, right. I I decided to hop from downtown Bowling Green to Scottsville Row and do an internship there in the late afternoons and trying to do an editing class and do an internship at the same time that was not for class and try to learn. There was still stuff that they should have taught me and let me be a little more hands-on. I'm learned I've learned it now and I'm still learning. But Lord Next Gen is a weird software. And are you more of a hands-on learner or can you learn from someone showing you?

SPEAKER_00

Both. I feel like someone has to show me first and then I can do it. Like it's weird. I can watch someone do it the first time, and then when I see it, I can do it. It's weird.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, because when I was slowly kind of being taught how next gen worked because of how the Woohoo studio was set up, if you could have seen the studio, then me describe it. He could show me from what he was working on. He tried to show me that way, but it was just so hard until I took my position at Froggy and started doing more hands-on there. Because their program director decided I don't touch anything, I just talk and look pretty. I was like, okay, and I felt so bad for my person, and I've had to back him so much for the company because the company was a little bit not happy with my how my internship went, by the way, my last semester. So I've had to back Andy so many times and said say, no, he was really great. I'm glad I backed him, and he better say thank you to me for that.

SPEAKER_00

So my last year of college, let's get back to the college.

SPEAKER_02

Um, I know I got distracted.

SPEAKER_00

It's all good. I get distracted sometimes. My first week, I don't even know if you remember me telling you about this, but I had COVID.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, that sucks.

SPEAKER_00

That was the first time I got it, and it had to be my first week of my last semester.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, that sucks.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so after I got over it, I had to move all my stuff in and then go to the dorm.

SPEAKER_02

Were you at D by that point or no?

SPEAKER_00

I wasn't at D. I was gonna get to that. That last year, it was a pretty good year for me, but I remember I did Lost River Sessions, and that was the one only time I did Lost River Sessions with PBS.

SPEAKER_02

I'm gonna say something about Lost River Sessions. I know the person who created it.

SPEAKER_00

I do too.

SPEAKER_02

And I'm gonna say this real fast. I personally think the show should have ended when Darius left. And they'll ask me, so where is he now? And I'm like, can't tell you.

SPEAKER_00

Lost River Sessions is a show where they get different artists, different venue, different it's a different artist, different venue, basically.

SPEAKER_02

And they do a video of that artist in that venue, and they have shot it on campus, they've shot it in downtown Bowling Green, they've shot it in the middle of nowhere.

SPEAKER_00

Lost River case.

SPEAKER_02

I think one of the coolest places they filmed was at that staff cabin near Cherry Hall. That's where they recorded the Poe Ramblin' boys session.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's right. What I did, it was a uh it was an old record store, and it was this guy named Nat Myers, and he's from northern Kentucky. He was an awesome dude. We all got to meet him. He was just nice to all of us, really. And when he left, he wore the Lost River Sessions hat.

SPEAKER_02

That is awesome.

SPEAKER_00

Walking out of there. Yeah, he was a pretty nice guy.

SPEAKER_02

I had I had some Lost River Session coasters, but somehow when I was leaving the public radio side, someone took them and never gave them back to me. Oh, I was like, and Darius gave it to me for my birthday. Oh man, for and I was like, so someone took those and I never got them back. That sucks.

SPEAKER_00

And then a few months later, I talked to people about doing an internship, which I encouraged. Yeah, it was D93. It was actually Sheila. We talked to her about being the main person, if that makes any sense.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that does. I literally told you, I said Tony don't bite.

SPEAKER_00

I know he don't, but it was hard getting a hold of him.

SPEAKER_02

Lord, that is so true. I don't know how Michelle got a hold of him for my internship.

SPEAKER_00

But do a lot of stuff with him.

SPEAKER_02

I think they were working towards me doing an internship with D without telling me. I think they were trying to get it figured out, but my stubborn butt wouldn't go there. I think they were working with Brad, to Brad, Tony, and Michelle. Yeah, and I refused, and I wanted to do it with BBS, and they're like, this is not gonna work out.

SPEAKER_00

So it was Kristen from Studel Financial Services, actually. You remember her? Vaguely, she was at the golf scramble.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, I feel like I heard that name, but it's been so long.

SPEAKER_00

She influenced Sheila to give me a chance.

SPEAKER_02

And you met Sheila originally at that golf scramble.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, she was the only one there, I think.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, you and I and her just talked while people played golf. She was awesome, but yeah, she complained about me not putting sunscreen on.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, my parents would do that.

SPEAKER_02

I love Sheila.

SPEAKER_00

I loved all of them actually.

SPEAKER_02

Same.

SPEAKER_00

Meeting all of them. Yeah, I mean, I didn't have a problem with any of them.

SPEAKER_02

Now, Tony did warn me at first just to scare me. He said, now Dr. Bob bites, and I was like, What?

SPEAKER_00

I think that's what they were trying to tell me too. Well, my favorite joke was from Dr. Bob. Yeah, you heard about Tony Rose, and I can't.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's not appropriate for this podcast.

SPEAKER_00

But I'm just saying triad.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I have triad merch. I have a sticker and a t-shirt.

SPEAKER_00

I have a t-shirt, and it's actually my t-shirt.

SPEAKER_02

Man, how did I not get one?

SPEAKER_00

I don't know. I think the reason I got one was because I had a cool name.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I didn't. Unless you asked some of our listeners who think I'm girl in the corner.

SPEAKER_00

How does Rhino the intern sound better than what I was? And my trademark was horns up, which came from Captain Chris, who would come into Tony's show. He still comes into his show, but he comes Wednesday and Fridays. He just started doing the horns up thing where he would just put his thumb on his forehead and his pinky sticking up.

SPEAKER_02

That's funny.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so that would become my thing because of Captain Chris.

SPEAKER_02

You gotta love Captain Chris. Yeah, we're trying to work on getting some people. It's hard. We're trying to get Captain Chris and Tall Chris on.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I still think I could get them for us.

SPEAKER_02

Don't I can message him if you can't.

SPEAKER_00

Because me and him got along really well. I feel like we had the same sense of humor.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that would make total sense. We're both movie buffs too, so I was feeling like if we had recorded the other episode tonight for my podcast, I felt like I was gonna be a fly on the wall. If you know what I mean, if you get two movie buffs in a room and you're not, it's like you can't get a word in. That that is what I experienced with bringing Chase to an episode with Andy.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, you should hear me, Austin, and Chase in this episode.

SPEAKER_02

I will not be surprised, and I feel like that might be a popular episode.

SPEAKER_00

I'm just letting you know it's going to be long though. I probably have to make it two parts.

SPEAKER_02

I I made mine one episode that uh that hour and 24 minutes. I got it to uh a hint over an hour.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, the internship was pretty fun. I mean, I first met Sheila, of course, because she was doing the internship, and then I met Alan, Alan Cooper.

SPEAKER_02

The one who doesn't want his picture made.

SPEAKER_00

No, he don't. He does not like pictures. I just remember that first week he gave me tickets because I told everybody I was an Elvis fan. It was this tribute thing, seeing Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and a guy named Carl Perkins. They were part of Sun Records in Memphis.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

And so they all got together one night and they were called this million dollar quartet.

SPEAKER_02

I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, they all came into the Sun Records studio that same night.

SPEAKER_02

That's interesting.

SPEAKER_00

And they started doing a tribute called One Night in Memphis for those four people, and it was an awesome tribute.

SPEAKER_02

That sounds awesome.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and that was nice of Alan for giving me those tickets.

SPEAKER_02

What did Dee give me? Oh, a bunch of free t-shirts and a little free pass to go get my car washed.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, they gave me they gave me shirts. Tommy gave me personal stuff, like I mean Elvis stuff because we're both Elvis fanatics.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and he gave you a record, didn't he?

SPEAKER_00

It was one of his biggest ones. He knew that I wanted this record called How Great Thou Art.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

And so he gave me that. It was a gospel record. He gave it to me.

SPEAKER_02

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, he gave me a kiss record. Big Kiss fan.

SPEAKER_02

I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_00

But Tony just came up. I'm going back to the Rhino shirt. So Tony just made it right there in just a few minutes. He just asked, What's your two favorite colors? And I was like, red and green. And he just made something out of red and green. And it was rhino the intern with a rhino with the shade of red on the rhino. And there was like green airwaves in the background.

SPEAKER_02

Oh.

SPEAKER_00

And on the bottom.

SPEAKER_02

How did I not notice that?

SPEAKER_00

Have you seen the shirt?

SPEAKER_02

It's been a minute.

SPEAKER_00

On the bottom, it has hashtag horns up on it.

SPEAKER_02

That's funny.

SPEAKER_00

That's a tribute to Captain Chris because he gave me the horns up trademark.

SPEAKER_02

So they come up with some interesting t-shirt designs, I will say.

SPEAKER_00

I would tell you about this.

SPEAKER_02

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00

But there's another one I could say it's not that bad. It's one of Dr. Bob and Of course. Sorry, I'm thinking about it right now. That's just funny. It was him with the hood on and glasses on. It was sunglasses on. And the shirt said Una Bobber on it.

SPEAKER_02

That's funny.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. That was probably the best clean thing that Tony came up with.

SPEAKER_02

Oh my god. When him and Captain Chris get together, it's like Lord knows what happens.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, it was so fun. I hate it. I'm I'm hating saying this, but yeah. When Dr. Bob wasn't there and it was me, Captain Chris, and Tony, it was it was free for all.

SPEAKER_02

Let's just say I am not surprised because I feel like that's what happened with my second internship. I was more open.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, we would just mumble jokes. And I would I would give my impressions for them.

SPEAKER_02

The running joke for me was I refuse to sing on air. Oh, and he was gonna try to catch me singing because he's like, I swear I'm gonna catch you singing. Never did. Tony, no, Andy.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay. My bad.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, Tony doesn't like if you sing on air, and Andy's the polar opposite, which is funny. Dr.

SPEAKER_00

Bob don't.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, neither does Dr. Bob. Sometimes I feel like Dr. Bob does not have a fun gene in his body.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, he does that run a joke. Yeah, but I mean that's like the best joke he has.

SPEAKER_02

That is true. Or the one about have you heard about CrossFit?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Oh man.

SPEAKER_02

Did you go to any events with D?

SPEAKER_00

I did. It was one.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

And it was for this beer, but I didn't drink any. But there was a singer coming. He wasn't. I'm gonna be honest, he wasn't really big. I'm not gonna say his name since I said that. I did get a shirt that night and it was pretty cool, but I didn't drink anything. I swear, I don't ever want to drink or do any of that stuff.

SPEAKER_02

I I don't blame you. I mainly did I did I think I did more events than you.

SPEAKER_00

You did. I mean, I went to I don't know if this winter vest thing count, but I went to a few of those.

SPEAKER_02

I don't know. I would say a mix of it sorta counting because D93's on the thing. They are. It seems like they switch out radio stations every year. They do like this year, maybe the Seven Mountains. I don't know. Don't quote me on that.

SPEAKER_00

I'll try to, but anyways, we did do episodes at D when I was an intern there.

SPEAKER_02

Oh yeah, you were the one that scheduled all this.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, and the hardest one to get was Tony, believe it or not.

SPEAKER_02

That is actually true, but that was my favorite episode to edit, by the way.

SPEAKER_00

My favorite one was Tommy.

SPEAKER_02

That was good, and you also scheduled all those episodes during the hardest week for myself. That's a little known fact. It was the week leading into mac and cheese festival.

SPEAKER_00

And I just remember, sorry I interrupted you, but anyways, Tony was like, I don't want to go on Captain Chris's show because they do a lot of profanity.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, if if you listen to Captain Chris's podcast, you would understand what we're talking about.

SPEAKER_00

I had to persuade him we don't do that.

SPEAKER_02

No, we don't, and I literally have to tell certain people this is a clean podcast.

SPEAKER_00

Please don't There's some people you can't control though.

SPEAKER_02

So that is very true.

SPEAKER_00

Like if we have Chris on here, like the Chrises, we can't tell them that because they'll do it anyways.

SPEAKER_02

We could tell them and they will just say I don't care. And we'll just have to say this is not a family-friendly episode, is what we'll say. And then I was gonna change subjects of what was your favorite cap social?

SPEAKER_00

Ooh, my favorite cap social. I mean, I'm a huge movie buff, so probably the movie nights, but rec room rec room was huge when we did it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that's huge. Apparently, it has died.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I've heard about that.

SPEAKER_02

Because of the from the alumni chat that it has died because not enough people want to go play games.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's crazy to me.

SPEAKER_02

I like the rec room social. I actually invented a social, by the way.

SPEAKER_00

What was it?

SPEAKER_02

Uh, the one where we went to Spencer's once or twice a month.

SPEAKER_00

I went to one of those. You went to one or two. Yeah, I got to meet uh do you remember? I don't know if you're you were around, but Sarah and Tiana.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I do remember them.

SPEAKER_00

So Sarah brought her husband one time.

SPEAKER_02

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00

And of course I had to mess around. I had to ask her boyfriend some questions.

SPEAKER_02

Nice. And then we also had some at uh Elma's.

SPEAKER_00

You want to hear something funny?

SPEAKER_02

What?

SPEAKER_00

I'm going back. My birthday falls on Thanksgiving break sometimes. And my birthday, my senior year, it fell before Thanksgiving break. So I couldn't go home to my family on my birthday. I asked Austin if we could go to Elmoss for my birthday, and he was like, let's make it a social.

SPEAKER_02

Hey.

SPEAKER_00

And so they made that Elm's social for my birthday.

SPEAKER_02

I think I did that also on one year for my birthday. I think because my birthday would always fall a little like right before school started or right in the smack of the first week of classes. Me and another cat student have sh or share birthday. You I think know who it is. And he was kind of being forced to go to this social because it was also his birthday, and I was like, that's not nice to force people to go to certain socials.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, don't force people to do something they don't want to do.

SPEAKER_02

But I did sketch I did plan a few socials at Elma's on the weekends, and we usually got a good group together.

SPEAKER_00

Do you want to know the best movie I thought I saw though during the social? Probably Terra Fire 3.

SPEAKER_02

Don't know that film.

SPEAKER_00

But it it's a good movie. It was like a mix of a Christmas movie and a horror movie, mostly four slasher buffs, but we went to go see it. And the funny part was I was the only one who saw it before anybody. So I remember getting popcorn, and during gross scenes, I would eat, and they would all go, Ryan, how are you still eating? I'm like, I've seen this movie.

SPEAKER_02

I would be the person saying, Why are you eating? I was gonna say I only went to one or two movie socials with Cap. I thought you were gonna say the Jonathan Majors movie.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, I saw Ant Man in the Waspin Creek 3, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I saw that with a different group of people, but I was like, because you and Austin talked about that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it was a big year for Jonathan Majors.

SPEAKER_02

And another thing I did, I don't think you did, was the cooking socials. No, you missed out on some good food.

SPEAKER_00

I know, but here's my thing. I like to do like the board game stuff and the movie stuff, and there was a time they did a bowling social. I went to that, love bowling and mellow mushroom.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, that was fun.

SPEAKER_00

I love that place. That's probably the most atmospheric place, like restaurant in bowling green, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_02

I I would have to agree because I have ate a ton of mellow mushroom when I live down there.

SPEAKER_00

It's an awesome place.

SPEAKER_02

And they closed the one in downtown Lexington.

SPEAKER_00

Oh man.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so there's only one that I know of in the state of Kentucky currently.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and then of course the last year, I mean, the last week, I'm changing subject a little bit. The last week of college, it was hard because I had to say a lot of goodbyes. That's hard on me saying goodbye to people. Like the first people I had to say goodbye to was D93. And they got me a Sheila made me a German chocolate cake.

SPEAKER_02

Homemade?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, Tony just bought me a store cake.

SPEAKER_00

Uh, I remember that. Anyways, I remember Tommy was there. Tony couldn't make it. Oh, I didn't even tell you about this. My last day, Tony was not there.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, of course. He was doing a Spartan.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and Captain Chris and Dr. Bob showed up, and then we were giving him crap the last day.

SPEAKER_02

I told Captain Chris I was I was his intern for one day.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I was his for one day, and it was the last day. But anyways, Dr. Bob was there, Tommy, Sheila, Alan, Kay, and Al from the talk.

SPEAKER_02

The talk, yep. Um actually, Al came to my great aunt's funeral, by the way.

SPEAKER_00

He did, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I ran into him.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, Al was awesome. We just talked about what I was going to do in the future, and I was like, hopefully radio. And they all just laughed. But yeah, that was pretty much it.

SPEAKER_02

Now, I didn't have to say goodbye to the Wahoo hooligans. It's a mouthful.

SPEAKER_00

Wahooligans.

SPEAKER_02

Wahooligans until the week after I graduated. Because I stayed on another week after graduating because I was like, it's gonna be too much to say goodbye the week of graduation. And I was like, I'll just say goodbye the week after graduation. So going into Derby week.

SPEAKER_00

Uh did they give you a card with all on it? D?

SPEAKER_02

No, oh no, D did. They gave me a card. I got two cards from D.

SPEAKER_00

I got one, but everybody wrote on there, including Brian.

SPEAKER_02

Yep. Now yeah, D gave me something, but yeah, Woo-hoo didn't give me anything.

SPEAKER_00

Oh yeah, I got to meet Greg my last week too. He was awesome.

SPEAKER_02

Who?

SPEAKER_00

Greg Martin.

SPEAKER_02

Oh yeah, I'm sorry, my brain.

SPEAKER_00

No, it's all good. Um he just the most nice guy, and I was kind of nervous again because I knew who he was. And oh, he's the guitarist for Kentucky Headhunters.

SPEAKER_02

See, I I met him at the Halloween event because him and his son were helping with that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. So yeah, he was a nice guy overall. He's supposed to be doing an event for Western actually. I saw something about that.

SPEAKER_02

Is it just okay? So is it just Greg or all of Kentucky Headhunters?

SPEAKER_00

It's Greg.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

He's talking about being in Kentucky Headhunters and all the cool people we got to meet.

SPEAKER_02

No doubt.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. He talked to me a little bit about that, but yeah, anyways, he was cool.

SPEAKER_02

No, I got to listen in on a cool interview, and you're gonna be jealous.

SPEAKER_00

I don't want to hear. Nah, I want to hear who was it?

SPEAKER_02

Uh Danny Trejo.

SPEAKER_00

Oh man.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, I got to listen in on it, and I had one question for him, but Tony said you can't ask questions. I'm like, dang it.

SPEAKER_00

I actually heard I actually got to meet somebody. You may be jealous about this one. Okay. He was the guy who played all the oompa loompas in Charlie and the chocolate factory.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, that's cool. The OG.

SPEAKER_00

No, it was the Johnny Depp one.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Deep Roy, that's his name.

SPEAKER_02

Nice.

SPEAKER_00

He was so cool. Me and him acted like we had a feud.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, that's hilarious. Yeah, the one question I wanted to ask Danny Trejo was I wanted a good taco recipe.

SPEAKER_00

Oh.

SPEAKER_02

Because he's known for his tacos, by the way.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, this that would have been a long answer, probably.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and I've probably gotten a dirty look from Tony.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I gotten to hear David Blaine.

SPEAKER_02

What is he in?

SPEAKER_00

He's a magician. Illusionist. Yeah. He's on Jimmy Fallon, so I would look him up on Jimmy Fallon.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I got to hear him. I gotten to see him interview people. Some cool people.

SPEAKER_02

That that's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And I want to talk about um le saying goodbye to the Kelly Autism Program, but I haven't really said goodbye to them because I'm still seeing some of them.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's like you you'll run into the people from there. Like I would run into Lisa when I was scooping ice cream. Lisa and her husband and her uh son Ben.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

They would always get ice cream for Ben.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I see. The ones who I mostly see is Austin and Kim, but I bet you don't know this, but they don't even work there anymore.

SPEAKER_02

You told me that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I mean they work, they work at Western.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

It's not Kelly Altism program.

SPEAKER_02

I was surprised they left, honestly.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Because I'm still doing oh they're my favorite ones that left.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. They're still doing socials, though.

SPEAKER_02

Who? Oh. Austin. Okay, yeah. Now Austin likes doing the socials.

SPEAKER_00

He does. I mean, he's still doing it because we're doing that bookdoor thing this weekend.

SPEAKER_02

Is it just you two or some others going along?

SPEAKER_00

Other students in the program.

SPEAKER_02

If I'd live closer, I'd go help with socials because I would love to go do that. And maybe if I do get big back down to Bowling Green, I would go help with some of that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I mean, I'm not really helping per se. I'm just going to hang out.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. I would like to go hang out and just talk with people on the spectrum as well because I miss talking to people.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I can tell you, teenagers are interesting to a certain point.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Going back to the oh.

SPEAKER_02

Until you decide to give them a messy activity and they just take it a little too far.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Anyway, going back to the Kelly Autism program, I actually almost shed a tear walking out the last day.

SPEAKER_02

I think I I was too overwhelmed to figure out my feelings about leaving CAP.

SPEAKER_00

Because they did everything for us, I feel like.

SPEAKER_02

Oh yeah. I think one of the few things I did for myself, not with Cap, was I think getting my second internship and getting the master control room position.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. The big one for me was the podcast and PBS probably and the internship.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

It's uh there's some stuff I wish I wish my um person could have came to the cat graduation party. Honestly, that's where I wish I had told him to come to instead of like the ceremony. Because he just barely met my mom the last time we came I came down to Bowling Green to record an episode.

SPEAKER_00

So the are my graduation party. I did not know this, but Kim and Austin invited Tommy and Sheila.

SPEAKER_02

And I was jealous of that because I'm like, I don't think Kelly liked my um second mentor, which is kind of sad because he's the nicest human, by the way. Y'all y'all will get along once y'all meet.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, but Tommy, I mean, he was my big mentor because he helped me out a lot.

SPEAKER_02

And I literally just got a message from him when I posted that um story about my record player.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, he said, what's your first record? And I said, Queen.

SPEAKER_00

Which one? Is it the greatest hits or a night at the opera? Oh, that's the that's their best one.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's that white album.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. It has bohemian rhapsody on it.

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's their best album. But anyways, I want to talk about graduation real quick. What was it like for you?

SPEAKER_02

Um praying that I would not sleep through my alarm.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and I do remember seeing a question that you had about topper walk.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I didn't do topper walk.

SPEAKER_00

So I did. And to answer your question, it was worth it.

SPEAKER_02

I thought it was worth it to not do it because I had a special dinner planned with other family members who could not come to my graduation.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay, I get that. But it was so worth it because you're walking from the top of the hill where you walked basically five days a week to your classes, and then you get to walk down the hill to the football stadium, and your fam everybody's there watching you walk. I just think that's a cool moment, and we're waving our red towels. I mean, I just thought that that was probably my favorite moment of graduation.

SPEAKER_02

I would say my moment of graduation was the fact of the cap the cat party, probably.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And getting and getting the and getting the books.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I actually I actually have both my books, by the way. Because I got two because of both my degrees. Now, one thing I do wish with my second book was that both my internships had been able to put a message in it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Because I don't know if Sheila and Tommy got to sign yours.

SPEAKER_00

They didn't.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that was one thing I wish they had had allowed was letting the mentors sign your book. So that's a core memory.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Do you agree with me or I agree with you? Because if I had told Andy that, he would have grabbed a pen and signed it.

SPEAKER_00

I feel like if I told Tommy that, he would have done it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I think Tommy and Sheila would have, and Captain Chris.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, if Captain Chris came, but I was actually shocked.

SPEAKER_02

If you told Captain Chris he could have signed something, he would have gave you so much crass.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And what was crazy was um oh, I forget what these are called. Commencement ceremonies?

SPEAKER_02

Yes.

SPEAKER_00

Sound right? Anyways, um did you have the 8 a.m.

SPEAKER_02

or the 10 a.m.

SPEAKER_00

I did the 1030.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, that's what it is. It's 1030. Okay, yeah, that's what I had.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so all of them came. D93 came.

SPEAKER_02

You know what's funny is I invited D93. And Tony said, I'm not going if if you're not gonna vo invite your other one. And I'm like, okay. I I was just going through some stuff at that time.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I mean and I think I wanted to hide my happiness from all the negativity I'd faced.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I mean, what was sad was I didn't get to see any of them because my family was in a hurry. Yeah. So I'm just glad they yelled out rhino. That's like my biggest memory, them yelling rhino.

SPEAKER_02

Apparently, I made it on PBS, apparently, because I knew too many people that they had the camera on me as I walked.

SPEAKER_00

Me too.

SPEAKER_02

And I had been out of PBS at that point for about six to seven months, but I knew so many people because of our major is so small that everybody just pointed the camera at me, and I was like, Well, at least I get a standing ovation and a death glare from the old GM.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. So I was just wondering, um, do you miss it? Do you miss college?

SPEAKER_02

Parts of it like not living at home. I there's one thing I did wish I had done, I should have done and not done, was try to accomplish a broadcasting degree in two years.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I was tough.

SPEAKER_02

It was tough. And Brad originally told me, Brad Franger, we love Brad.

SPEAKER_00

Yep.

SPEAKER_02

He originally told me, he said, you can do this in two and a half years. And I was like, great, that's what I'm gonna do. And I wish I'd done that because I think I could have done some more hands-on experience, open up more if I'd stayed on a second semester at Woohoo.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And gotten to do more work with more people, gotten Cap to actually work with them because Cap was very hesitant with working with that crew, which was very frustrating. Very frustrating. You don't understand.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I miss my last semester of college. It was busy, but I love busy.

SPEAKER_02

I'm the same way. I love busy.

SPEAKER_00

I love not being in my dorm.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, I loved apartment living, I'm not gonna lie. And moving all my stuff back home was a nightmare. We still have my TV sitting somewhere and it's not being used in a soundbar, in a bunch of pots and pans.

SPEAKER_00

Moving me out wasn't a challenge. Well Oh, I can't say it, but you pack more stuff, I feel like. You do.

SPEAKER_02

Who me?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, that figures. I'm a there's something about certain people, it's just we pack up more stuff.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Some people bring a U-Haul.

SPEAKER_02

Oh Lord, I ain't that that crazy.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Some people bring a tiny U-Haul.

SPEAKER_02

I'm not that crazy. Um if we can get it in two cars, then that's good.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Now there was one thing I did donate that did not come back with me.

SPEAKER_01

What?

SPEAKER_02

I had a treadmill and I just donated it to Lifeworks because it was it kind of had some problems, and if we had moved it again, I think it would have died. So I was like, we'll just get another one at some point, or I just get a gym membership and I got a gym membership.

SPEAKER_00

Do you wish there was something that the Kelly Autism program taught you?

SPEAKER_02

I would say talking to people within the community, because so many people don't know how to talk to people within the Bowling Green community, which is sad because a lot of people who were originally part of this podcast, I tried to bring in community members and say, hey, come to this, and they didn't want to come to stuff.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Like the only person I literally got to go talk to someone outside of the college sphere was Chase.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Do you know something? I wish they were I was gonna say Chase is an open book.

SPEAKER_00

He is, but do you know something I wish Cap taught me? What job searching after college?

SPEAKER_02

Oh my god, I feel you 100% because I'm gonna be honest, being on the spectrum, it's hard to get jobs. I'm gonna have to agree with you on that, but I also while I was starting the job search, I could also, since I was living above the LifeWorks apart or offices for a couple months after college, I kind of went to them for some help, even though I wasn't part of the LifeWorks program, but I lived there, they were willing to help me to a degree because they're the nicest humans. Molly was still there at the time. I don't know if you knew Molly, I knew you knew Darius, but Molly and Darius would semi help me a little bit until I kind of got on with froggy as part-time work back here back in my hometown. And right now my goal is to get an on-air position.

SPEAKER_00

I think that's my goal to get an on-air position. I mean, I think that's both of ours because we love talking to everybody, you know? And yeah, I to be honest, I just love the entertaining part of it, just making people laugh and making them feel good.

SPEAKER_02

I wanna I 100% agree because if you can make someone laugh, it's it means the world because some of the people who are in it right now that I have met, they should have retired.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I feel like most people now are just in for the business aspect of it, you know.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah, there's some that still have the heart and soul, yeah, that I know, but there's some I'm like, you should have retired, yeah. I'm not gonna lie, because I've met some of the new people, kind of within my company in the Kentucky region, and I'm like, so you're still on air and you still don't know what you're doing, and you've been in the business for how long? Yeah, and there's some people that are just straight up talented and can do two different sides of the radio world.

SPEAKER_00

That's true.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, I'm not gonna give names, but like I get to talk to some of these people on a day daily sometimes, and one moment they might be doing a rock show, and then later on they're help they're one of the people doing high school sports.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I mean, I felt like I could do either of those, but uh think think about it.

SPEAKER_02

I'm not gonna lie, at some point, my company will probably need another high school sports commentator, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

You never know.

SPEAKER_02

A color core c color commentator. I've tried talking my cousin into it, yeah. Down here, because he has a sports degree, and I'm and he knows all his stuff, and I'm like, dude, you need to do color commentary. He said, I'm not radio, I don't think I could do it. I said, Yes, you can.

SPEAKER_00

Because I just think I'm great for the I think I'm great for the music radio, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

But I can tell you some of the sports commentators I have heard that they some one of them has brought in. One of them, I literally told my other producer who's been doing it for years, I said, it's like watching paint dry on a wall. That's how bad it was. And I and this was like last game before like like tournament started. I'm like, I felt like I was watching paint dry on a wall, and I'm like, this is boring as crap. He should have asked his wife.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I just felt like I can't do the TV news. I don't feel like the thing about TV news is it's too depressing for me. I feel like it would get to me.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I'm the same way. That's why I haven't gone back to public radio, is because of that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I I feel like if I was anything news related, it would have to be weekend update type.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I just feel like I would be good at that.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and the other thing I was gonna say that I wish Cap had taught me was lear like learning how to communicate with coworkers.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Heard a lot of people had issues with that.

SPEAKER_02

I will tell you, it's I think harder when like there's a big age gap.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Because when you're gonna go into our field, you might be talking with someone that is 20 plus years older than you.

SPEAKER_01

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02

Um we have yeah, um, the closest people I've had in age like are not at my company right now, and I'm like, dang, it's like I finally get someone who's close in age with me I can talk to, and then they leave, they up and leave me. Stinks.

SPEAKER_00

It does. Well, yeah, well, it was great talking with you tonight.

SPEAKER_02

I know, have fun editing this.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, yeah, I might send it to you too.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, I I'm totally fine with that.

SPEAKER_00

All right. So thank you guys, and hope y'all keep listening because there'll be more episodes to come. Am I right, Lena?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's gonna probably first come out on my Let's Talk podcast, the episode that will be next recorded, and then at a later date come on to the simple.

SPEAKER_00

Right. And this was a simple.