As a Cognitive Science major and Anthropology minor, I am fascinated by everything human. While cognitive science has opened my eyes to the way humans think 鈥� whether that is through philosophy, linguistics, or neuroscience 鈥� anthropology has deepened my understanding of human behavior (and thinking) within the context of culture and society.
My academic interests in cognitive science and anthropology have not only fueled my fascination with the intricacies of the human mind and behavior but have also guided me toward a deep commitment to mental health advocacy. This passion naturally extended beyond the classroom, finding a perfect outlet at CKUT 90.3 FM when I began my journey as the podcast host of Conversations in Corridors during my first year of university. On its website, CKUT is described as 鈥渁 non-profit, campus-community radio station based at 平特五不中...made up of hundreds of volunteers working with a staff of coordinators, not just to make creative and insightful radio programming, but also to manage the station. The station operates on a collective management system that includes volunteers in decision-making. As a campus-community radio station, CKUT鈥檚 mandate is to provide an essential service and voice to those in the greater Montreal community whose needs are not met by mainstream commercial media.鈥� I was instantly attracted to CKUT's independent ethos, which granted me complete creative freedom to create work that felt authentic to me. This is why I was excited to discover CKUT's summer internship opportunity, particularly because I knew it would allow me to continue pursuing my passion for mental health advocacy. This led me to create my summer project, The Joy podcast, which highlights the positive and uplifting aspects of mental well-being.
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As an intern, my responsibilities primarily revolved around my podcast: I planned, researched, recorded, edited, and published all of my episodes independently. I also created and ran the Instagram account dedicated to the podcast: @the.joy.podcast. Additionally, I was responsible for networking with other volunteers and staff around the station to find relevant guest speakers. Aside from my podcast, I did (and continue to do) tech for the show Sounds of Resistance hosted by Samaa Elibyari, as well as help with any other tech assistance required at the station.
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When I began my internship, I thought I needed to have the entire show schedule meticulously planned out. However, I soon realized that each week I naturally gravitated toward a specific topic to focus on. This turned out to be one of the most rewarding aspects of the experience鈥攆ully immersing myself in the research for each episode. It felt more like working on a passion project than a job because every episode was so engaging. Even when I was pressed for time to release episodes, I remained completely absorbed in the work in a way that school, up to that point, has not offered in the same way. Nevertheless, being both my own boss and employee made the workload challenging at times, pushing me to sharpen my organizational and time management skills. Despite these challenges, I never missed an episode release, and I鈥檓 incredibly proud of the dedication and hard work that made this possible, especially by strictly adhering to my self-outlined to-dos and daily goals.
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My internship at CKUT greatly enriched my university experience. I've gained proficiency in various technical tools that will benefit me across different fields, whether I pursue a career in radio or continue mental health advocacy in another capacity. Additionally, it has strengthened my work ethic and provided the chance to connect with a diverse and fascinating group of people. This experience also deepened my understanding of mental health, which will be invaluable in all my future career endeavors.
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This internship experience wouldn't have been possible without the support of the Dean of Arts Development Fund. Because CKUT is a non-profit and volunteer-driven organization, the position was unpaid. Without this funding, I would have had to find another job to support myself over the summer, significantly limiting the time I could dedicate to my podcast and diminishing the quality of this project. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Dean Lisa Shapira for helping to make this dream passion project a reality.
