Senior student interviews Kansas Commissioner along Kansans Can Success Tour route

A partnership between Concordia Junior-Senior High School and KNCK Radio is helping some Concordia teens decide if journalism is the career path they want to take.

It’s a win-win for the radio station and the students.

“I think it’s very valuable,” said Toby Nosker, news director for KNCK. “We need the next generation to gain experiences like this.”

Kylee Hower, a 17-year-old, soon-to-be senior at Concordia Junior-Senior High, was interested in a career in journalism as a sophomore. When Nosker presented at a career day, Hower approached him about working at KNCK.

“We hire high school students in the journalism program,” Nosker said. “We work with the community college (Cloud County), too.”

The partnership has been in place for more than 10 years, he said.

The summer before her junior year, Hower accepted a part-time paid position with KNCK. Now, a year later, she is anchoring news stories, writing and producing pieces and conducting interviews. Two other Concordia students are working at the station through the partnership. Hower works about six hours per week for KNCK.

She had an opportunity to interview Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson on Monday, July 26, for a news story when he and Deputy Commissioner Dr. Brad Neuenswander stopped in Concordia on their 50-city Kansans Can Success Tour. The tour is a follow up to a community conversations tour conducted by Watson and Neuenswander in 2015.

Watson served as an assistant principal, athletic director and principal at Concordia High School from 1987-1993. He and Neuenswander gave a 90-minute presentation to about 40 people – including Hower and Nosker - gathered in the cafeteria of Concordia Elementary School, 1500 E. 9^th St. Teachers, administrators, business owners and community members also were in attendance.

“It comforts me to know that educators and administrators are actively trying to change and improve our education,” Hower said after the presentation.

She was happy to hear that Kansans in 2015 said they value both academic and nonacademic skills, such as being on time for work and knowing how to communicate. The partnership between the school district and the radio station has been beneficial to Hower – teaching her academic and nonacademic skills.

“I think it’s made me a more personable person,” she said.

It’s also helped her realize that broadcast journalism isn’t the right career path for her. While she is still considering a communications degree, Hower said she is glad she didn’t spend the time and money at college only to realize that journalism isn’t the right choice for her.

“It’s definitely opened by mind to different careers,” she said. “As a student, that is very helpful.”