Students from area schools like Howard, Brainerd, and Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy recently explored Campus as part of the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) program. The rising high school juniors and seniors got a taste for college as they dissected sharks and produced a live talk show in UTC’s TV Studio.
Mike Andrews, Project Manager for UTC’s TV Studio, explained that this is the third summer GEAR UP has brought students through the TV Studio as they tour Campus.
“It’s kind of nice that they don’t get tired of the experience, that they’re asking about it now–when are we going to the tv studio? So I think it’s really cool that it’s part of the hands-on experience because you can really tell that with some people, it’s different ways of learning. By getting that hands-on experience, it will start to click with them. It really is true, there are a lot of opportunities that they can get involved with if they really want to pursue this,” Andrews said.
At the studio, students filled the audience, manned the camera crew, performed as host and guests, and directed off-screen as they took part in a live talk show. They quickly caught on to all of the work that goes into tv production, and proved themselves naturals both on and off the screen.
“It was really fun. I was really thinking of taking journalism in my college career and I got a chance to test the waters,” said GEAR UP student Candace Jones, a junior at Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy.
“You know they watch television all of the time but to actually be on the opposite end of it is pretty amazing,” explained Michelle Oliver, Senior Coordinator, GEAR UP Program.
