When I was an undergraduate at University of Oregon I worked at the college radio station. KWVA Eugene was on the left hand of the dial at 88.1 FM, and it was where I spent a majority of my time. As both DJ and co-music director, it was the place where I had the most fun and learned some of my biggest lessons of my student career, the thing from all my days as a student that made the biggest impression on me. I learned many of the facets necessary for running a radio station, including sound equipment use and maintenance, the nuances of voiceovers, behind the scenes production, underwriting, and so many other things. The best part of course, was hearing all the new music and having my horizons broadened. When I went back to school to get a teaching certificate at Northeastern Illinois University, I also loved doing a radio show at WZRD 88.3 FM, and had just as much fun. When I left the world of school and entered the work force, it saddened me that college radio was something I couldn't participate in because I wasn't a student, and I certainly wasn't interested in working in commercial radio. I wasn't even interested in LISTENING to commercial radio.

That’s why I love that Chicago is host to a station like CHIRP (at 107.1 FM -- the other end of the dial, where I have a show on Wednesday mornings 6am-9am). You don't have to be a student to DJ. CHIRP captures everything I loved about college radio -- the wide breadth of music, the human DJs, its involvement in Chicago. And if you're not in Chicago, you can listen to it on an app that you can download and listen to anywhere or stream it right from the website. What a joy it was to see my name scrawling the bottom of the website and on the app during my first shift. I am so thrilled to be involved.

CHIRP isn't affiliated with a university. It's run by people in the community of all ages and backgrounds, and that means I can get involved without being a student. Unlike college radio, it isn't affiliated with a university to help fund it. And running community radio is not free. So help me meet my goal of $350 to keep CHIRP being as awesome as it is.