Since 2022, Missouri State University journalism senior Meghan McKinney has been honing her skills in public radio.

She works as a student reporter and announcer at KSMU Radio, the region’s NPR affiliate based at Missouri State.

From submission to success

Recently, McKinney submitted an entry to the 2023 NPR College Podcast Challenge.

In its third year, the competition aims to find the best college podcasts in America. Entries must be three to eight minutes long about any topic.

McKinney’s podcast titled, “Breaking from the Bible Belt,” made it to the top 10 out of over 500 submissions from current undergraduate college students and recent graduates across the country.

“In it, I tell the story of a girl who’s trying to navigate religious trauma, deconstruct her childhood conservative Christian faith and articulate what she believes,” McKinney said.

“Being one of the top 10 finalists is exciting. I had forgotten I submitted an entry until NPR contacted me with the news. Such great news before my upcoming graduation reassures me of my abilities.”

As a finalist, she won $500.

Transforming learning into accomplishment

McKinney notes the process of recording and producing her podcast was an enjoyable one.

“I’ve learned such valuable skills from working at KSMU and in my classes,” she said.

“This project was a capstone experience. It was an accumulation of skills like personal storytelling, research, audio editing, voicing, reviewing and implementing feedback.”

Transitioning to the real world

When she graduates from Missouri State this May, McKinney will move to Des Moines, Iowa. She has secured a job with Iowa Public Radio as a morning edition host.

While she is excited about the next chapter of her life, she admits she has conflicting emotions about graduating from Missouri State as the university is a part of her identity.

From Ozark, Missouri, McKinney came to Missouri State in fall 2020. She started out as a psychology major but switched to journalism in her sophomore year because she fell in love with journalism and its mission.

“I’ll miss my professors in the journalism department. Their academic and personal guidance helped me as a first-generation college student,” she said. “This place is priceless to me.”

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Photos provided by Meghan McKinney.