callmemrospring22

I’ve gotten the privilege of getting to know my friend and roommate Jayna since we started out at Champlain College, first meeting in our freshman year dorm, Carriage House, in 2018. During the time in which we’ve known each other, I’ve grown closer to them than I could’ve ever initially expected. Jayna’s someone that I really admire, since I’ve seen so much persistence and growth when it comes to them fully coming into their own.

A big part of the journey of self-discovery that Jayna’s been on is accepting who they are despite the ideologies of the environment they grew up in. To have to suppress your own authenticity is a survival tactic that, unfortunately, Jayna had to use on a constant basis. Their family members were intolerant to the LGBTQ community, sometimes even to the point of dehumanization. So, when Jayna first started questioning their sexuality with the knowledge that they have always liked women, they didn’t have the freedom to express and/or explore that aspect of themselves. 

Early into high school, Jayna moved in with their brother Ethan and his parents, (they’re not actually related but they consider themselves siblings and truly are family in nearly every sense). That’s a point in which Jayna started really becoming more comfortable with themselves. The people that they were around at this time were either openly in the queer community, or incredibly supportive of all those that were. Ethan has been out of the closet for nearly a decade and his influence was pivotal towards helping Jayna realize that it’s okay for them to be different than how they were initially told to be. 

The two of them came up to school at Champlain together and, with a new environment, Jayna was able to redefine themselves. Part of this was them letting go of the male gaze, something in which affected the way Jayna presented themselves based on what men would find attractive. By dressing, speaking, and acting as they truly desired, Jayna was opening themselves up to more self-actualization than ever before. Jayna’s also been able to feel like they don’t have to fit into their typical sex-assigned gender role and define what that aspect of their personality means to them.

The best way to go about describing Alek is really all in the story of how we initially met. I had the pleasure of meeting him back in the summer of 2021 when he visited Big Heavy World, a music organization dedicated to supporting Vermont musicians. I deejay and intern at Big Heavy World and Alek came to assess the accessibility of the radio station.

It wasn’t hard to hit it off with him. Right away, we started talking about music and started bonding over our love for Taylor Swift. I showed him around the studio space, and he then ended up staying for Big Heavy World’s local music show that happens every Wednesday called Rocket Shop.

From there, we stayed in touch and Alek invited me to co-host some radio shows with him that were broadcast online from his station. What I didn’t know until interviewing him for this project was that he set up his radio station in his dorm room entirely by himself. Not only did he set up the space, but he also independently manages the station and is the main radio host.

As previously stated, it’s not hard to be impressed and inspired by Alek’s work ethic and knowledge about radio and audio production. But, what I find most inspiring about Alek is his positive energy, the value that he places in his connections with others, and his overall attitude toward life.

Alek has been blind since birth and therefore has had to navigate the world in a unique way. Despite being blind, Alek has learned the ins and outs of radio and audio production and continues to be eager to learn more. Furthermore, he is also more than willing to help others learn from him.

What was most striking to me when interviewing Alek was the way he spoke about his best friend and co-host, Emily Beckett. Alek described to me how they met, became friends, and how he taught Emily what he knew about radio. He caringly described how dedicated Emily is to their collaboration, The Alternative Afternoon Drive Show, and how it’s been an amazing experience that has fostered their friendship. 

I couldn’t help but get choked up when hearing him speak about Emily, specifically when he said how she’s become like a younger sister to him. The connection between the two is undeniable and it not only shows in the fun they have on their show that listeners can hear, but also in the way that they speak about one another. 

You can watch the video and hear Alek’s story by clicking on the video link above.