I joined Wabash Valley College just over a year after my high school graduation. Stepping into WVC was daunting, and I had no idea where my Major would take me. Hold up, let's rewind.
Doing a mix of in person classes and online, I graduated from Penn Foster in October of 2021. Graduating at the age of 14, I had zero ideas of what I wanted to pursue in life. That is until I saw a post on Facebook from a local radio station urgently seeking new hires. Being a bit of a computer nerd myself, I was interested and quickly took on the role of a sports broadcaster.
Starting in camera operation and basic voice overs, I quickly learned the Adobe audio suite and streaming software like the back of my
hand. My responsibilities only grew; I became one of the weather reporters, recorded tons of advertisements, and even got to co-announce the largest parade of the year. I had the opportunity to travel many hours to stream football and basketball games-all while I didn't even have a driver's license. I started to get comfortable, fell in love with cameras, and put my focus on becoming a movie director.
College was always in the back of my mind. I needed to pursue higher education to get to the point I envisioned. However, I was living in a 2 mile-wide town with a rough population of 5,000 people AND was without a driver's license! I doubted I would ever find a program that would fit my desires and my location.
That’s when I saw an advertisement for a fairly local college, teaching radio/tv broadcasting. Winning titles like “Intercollegiate Broadcasting System’s 2023 National Community College TV
Station” two years in a row, it was a no-brainer. Only issue, I didn’t have a car! As rough as it was, my parents went out of their way to drive me 50 minutes to class every morning.
In the tv studio something clicked. The lights, the cameras, the teleprompters; I knew I made a good decision.
The first experience that lasted with me was the very first sports game at Wabash where I got to be a part of the team. Don’t get me wrong, I was very familiar with sports streaming, but I had always only streamed high school games. The pace of the game and the people I was working with were all new to me, but I quickly became friends with the team.
I met people who were just as dedicated as I was, but each with their own unique goals and positions they were striving for. Like Colton Plumber, who's pursuing becoming a great meteorologist sticking to the more tv side of the program, or Zane Spivey who makes music and beats and sticks more to the radio side.
Seeing each of these fellow classmates strive to pursue their dreams, I gained a dream of my own, becoming a movie director. See, movies have always fascinated me. But, not for the entertainment factor; rather, I wanted to learn the behind the scenes of it all. How do the big names, like James Cameron and Christopher Nolan, do it?
Kyle Peach, lead instructor of radio/tv broadcasting, did a wonderful job breaking the process down. From teaching the fancy names of all the technology, to explaining in depth the intricacies of the camera. One of the most vital topics to movie creation I learned is how many titles there are for the people who aid in movie creation. There seemed to be almost an endless amount of job opportunities in the movie industry: camera operators, set designers, folly artists, and, most importantly, movie directors.
I have had countless opportunities at WVC that I doubt I would have ever heard about had I not decided to come., for instance, streaming the SIC Super Sectional for high school basketball in the Banterra center. This was single biggest basketball game, in terms of viewership, for the WVC broadcast team. I was assigned to work the side-line camera, to get an up close look at the game, and the designated camera man for our sideline reporter, Austin Harrelson. That basketball game was like none other I have been a part of. I have no doubt I'll remember that experience forever.
The biggest impact WVC has made in my life? Definitely the connections I have made over my time at Wabash. I became great friends with some of the best basketball players on our team, like Julian McGowen, A.D Sprinkles, MuJa Burton, and others. I was able to make hype videos/photos and edits of their plays, that I hope they can look back on when they play in the pro league.
In the end, I made the right decision coming to Wabash Valley College. The countless hours of experience I have gotten and the friendships I've gained are invaluable to me. The best part of WVC, to me at least, is the community. Some of the realest, most determined people are at Wabash Valley College, and I wouldn't trade my experiences here for anything.
Big thank you to Julian, A.D, MuJa, Murph, and Brayden Grimes, for always being there, and pushing yourselves and others to be the greatest.
So very proud of you Asher Penrod! Love you very much!