When Sarah Mosher was growing up her parents had CBC Radio playing from morning to night. So, it’s not surprising that when she heard about the public broadcaster’s Peter Gzowski Internship for graduating students she was intrigued. Still, it wasn’t until taking a third-year radio and podcast workshop with Jill Staveley, Trent Radio’s Director of Programming, that she seriously considered applying.  

“It was so interesting to be in an academic setting but also have the opportunity to be directly involved in the radio station,” says Ms. Mosher. “I gained an understanding of how radio broadcasting and the Canadian system works, and we also had the opportunity to work in the studio. Trent Radio is such a cool place to be.”

Ms. Mosher is one of four students selected from designated universities across Canada for the internship, which provides training and four months of paid employment, during which interns contribute to CBC Radio programming. She says the support of Trent faculty, some of whom she got to know as a fourth-year student representative for her department, was invaluable in helping her prepare for the internship.

“There’s a lot of opportunity to explore creativity in a small department like cultural studies,” notes Ms. Mosher. “And by being a rep I was in contact with more faculty, which helped me move into a position where I’m comfortable talking with people in the creative industry, like the CBC.”

As part of her application Ms. Mosher created a radio show proposal based on bringing people from marginalized and oppressed communities together for roundtable discussions. Whether or not her specific idea is ever realized, she views the internship as a way to learn more about who she wants to be.

“It’s not about a specific show or job, I just want to learn how CBC works and how I might fit into it. And, once the pandemic is sorted out, or we learn to live with it, I’m interested in how the world is going to shift. I think being in radio is a great place to get a better understanding of that.”