David Gonzalez set his sights on the CBC Radio Peter Gzowski Internship back in 2013.
As a newly arrived international student from Mexico, he signed up to volunteer as a CHMR Radio news reader during the first week of classes.
“I saw a poster in the office advertising the internship and ever since then have kept it as a goal,” said Mr. Gonzalez, who spent three days as a commerce student before switching his major to communication studies.
Goal achieved
Now his goal is a reality.
With a week’s training in Toronto under his belt, Mr. Gonzalez is now working full time at the St. John’s CBC bureau. He has contributed to both the St. John’s Morning Show and On The Go and published his first online story.
He likens his first weeks on the job at the CBC to his internship experience at Nine Island Communications during his job placement for the diploma in performance and communications studies (now rebranded as the diploma in stage and screen technique).
“I admire Peter Walsh very much as a professional and a mentor,” Mr. Gonzalez said of the production company’s co-owner and communications studies instructor in the Department of English. “He took me under his wing and right inside Nine Island.”
Mr. Gonzalez worked as a researcher for the company’s documentary Just Be Gemma during the summer of 2017.
“It was a great experience that changed everything for me,” he said.
“We had many long conversations about the media and storytelling.”
The admiration is mutual. For his part, Mr. Walsh says he found Mr. Gonzalez to be a smart, positive and hard-working student and that he was “delighted” when he expressed interest in interning at Nine Island.
“He didn’t let us down and did a great job,” said Mr. Walsh.
“We had many long conversations about the media and storytelling and I am delighted for him that he won the Gzowski internship and has a chance to pursue his goals. I wish him all the luck in the world.”
Putting down roots
Just prior to receiving the news he had received the internship, Mr. Gonzalez booked a flight to Montreal to begin job hunting.
Now, he intends to stay in the province. With that, he’ll undoubtedly bring his perspective as a come from (far) away who has had a life-changing experience at Memorial and who has been profoundly influenced by the Newfoundlanders and Labradorians he has connected with.
“I want everyone’s voices to be heard, including those from the LGBTQ2 communities and others that are reshaping the island.”
And in the even more good news department? His sister arrives from Mexico later this summer to begin her own journey at Memorial University.
