I'm excited about where I am in life. Career-wise anyway. I didn't expect to be sitting in a large market, Twin Cities radio station for many years. According to the folks at Brown Institute (during my college visit when I was 17), I should be in a small town radio station somewhere in New Mexico making less than minimum wage and living in my car. That didn't discourage me from radio. I just decided I wouldn't go to school there. I still haven't written my "Ha! I showed you! letter" to Alix Kendall (Fox 9 Morning anchor), who was the guest speaker the day I visited the school I had heard so much about. They used to play the Brown Institute commercials more than National American University ("one day, one night"...) I can't remember the title of her speech to the prospective students that day. But- it should have been called something like "None of You Will Succeed". After that I was even more determined to be on the radio, I wanted it even more because no one believed that I could succeed... except I always felt like my dad never lost the faith. So I found myself at SCSU, confused about life, goals, the future... until I walked into a basement and found a station called KVSC, where I found musical taste other than my classic rock collection. A whole new world of tunes.

I re-found my determination and landed myself somewhere where I couldn't be happier. I heard about this "new music station" from Minnesota Public Radio. I submitted my resume' and crossed my fingers. And a year later... they've decided to keep me around! I work with music I love. Good music. Real music. How did I get here? I look around the room at meetings sometimes and think, how did I end up working with a staff this good? It's like being in a room with a "supergroup" of the Twin Cities. The Damn Yankees of Twin Cities radio if you will! ha! (Damn Yankees is the first "supergroup" that comes to mind. Where else can you find Tommy Shaw and Ted Nugent singing ballads? Isn't that way Tommy Shaw left Styx, cause he wanted to rock and roll? I guess he just wanted to take us high enough.) OK so my co-workers rock more than Damn Yankees. That's a given.

I was never real sure what I wanted to do if I wasn't involved with radio or music for that matter, in some way. But I was just recently reminded of what I don't want to do if for some reason I can't do radio anymore. Lloyd Dobler said it best in the movie Say Anything:
"I don't want to sell anything, buy anything or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed... or buy anything sold or processed... or process anything sold, bought or processed... or repair anything sold, bought or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that."

Thanks for a great year everyone. And many more for that matter. Now what are you waiting for... become a member before Friday!

-Jill