College radio station helps students with differences find their voices

PUTNEY, Vt. (WCAX) – October is National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, a chance to celebrate the millions of people across the country who face challenges when it comes to learning. That includes students at Landmark College in Putney, where the college’s radio station lets students voice their differences to the world.

Students at Landmark showcase their talents every single day, sometimes live on air, despite the fact that they learn differently.

Catherine Brogan reads the news of the day for WLMC. She hosts her own weekly radio show.

“I wanted to try something new and to really get myself out there,” Brogan said.

She’s not shy about her ADHD and mild dyslexia. Brogan says hosting a radio show, despite it being live, helps her relax.

“It helps a lot with my anxiety and my stress,” she said. “It really helps my mood and boosts up my spirits.”

Landmark College was founded for students like Brogan with learning differences or “LDs.”

The radio station was started in 2008.

“College radio has a long, rich history,” said Eric Matte, a communications and broadcasting professor at Landmark.

Matte says the station allows students who might otherwise be disenfranchised to have the opportunity to literally run the show.

“Really, it is an opportunity first time for many to get in front of a mic and speak freely without any restrictions and just let them go,” he said.

“What being yourself means is that you are basically telling the world, ‘This is who I am,’” said Owain Lucas, who is on the autism spectrum.

Lucas helps manage the station while producing weekly editorial content.

His LD makes him easily distracted, which he learns more about every time the red light goes live.

“Being really self-aware is not something that a lot of people can do, and it is something that takes a lot of time. And being able to admit that I’ve had emotional challenges in the past and being able to know that there are times where you shut down and you kind of have to work your way out of it,” Lucas said.

He wants to stay in the industry after graduating this spring.

Brogan wants to be a children’s librarian, though she says her media skills will translate into any career path she pursues.

“I think it is like the confidence, building my self-confidence,” she said.

Educators say it is not just about learning. They say it is also an opportunity for students to do something they are passionate about and express themselves, live on the airwaves.

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