#FLASHBACKFRIDAY: My College Graduation

May 1, 2010 will always be a special day for me. It doesn't just commemorate the day I (finally) graduated college, but it marks the day that my journey really began... 

When I began attending the University of Indianapolis in August 2004, I didn't really know what my chosen path was going to be. Like most kids, I anticipated leaving home for the first time. And, like most kids, I expected lots of partying, lots of socializing, and everything else you see in the movies.

But it was a struggle for me. Even though I met people that would eventually become lifelong friends, I was very awkward in social situations. Despite being a theatre major, I suffered through terrible anxiety and stage fright and had a difficult time even getting through an audition.

Quite frankly, I hated college. Part of me wished my mom would just come take me back home, and I'd try something else. I couldn't adjust to the responsibility of taking care of myself and being in a strange place with people I'd never met.

Then, I had to leave school during second semester my sophomore year because of financial reasons. I had to come back home and had to figure out what the next step was.

I wound up going back to school the following semester, and while some of the normalcy returned, I still had a huge feeling of self-doubt.

Then, a friend encouraged me to try radio. The rest, as they say, is history.

I'd finally broken out of my shell...I'd found something that other people wished they could do. I stopped being afraid to be myself and started turning my perceived weaknesses into advantages. I finally found a platform that allowed me to be me.

Now, five radio jobs and four states later, I'm back home here at B100!

Thanks for reading, and don't be afraid to take chances and find YOUR voice! :-)   -Slater