Siendo Primero! (Being First)
New Kawc video podcast tells first-gen students’ stories
A new podcast from KAWC/KOFA-BORDER Radio is now platforming Arizona Western College students in telling their higher education attainment journeys. The podcast, called Siendo Primero, allows students to produce storytelling videos about being first-generation college students in hopes of encouraging viewers to also pursue higher education.
According to AWC, the initiative is a cross-departmental collaboration between representatives of KAWC/KOFA-BORDER Radio, the CAMP program, TRIO/KEYS and AWC Marketing and Communications.
It’s also one of six proposals to have received funding from the 2023 AWC Innovation Fund, where faculty, staff and students have the opportunity to present a variety of ideas for a chance to make initiatives into reality. KAWC/ KOFA General Manager Dave Riek received $10,000 for his Siendo Primero proposal to implement the project.
“The exciting part about this visual podcast project is that it reflects the type of content we expect to create when we move into our new studios in the AWC Matador Activity Center (MAC) next Fall,” Riek said. “That new facility will collocate the KAWC/KOFA studios and production facilities with AWC’S TV Services studios providing the community with a state-of-theart multimedia production capability.”
The project was the result of a nine-month Digital Transformation program the team recently completed through the Poynter Institute. Described by AWC as prestigious, the program is designed to educate, assist and coach public media senior leaders and their staff on the best strategies and tactics to transform their organization’s digital operations and culture. KAWC was one of 75 public media stations selected in 2021 to participate in the second cohort of the program, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Now, they’ve been putting that programming to use and giving voice to AWC students but current first-generation students and alumni are also welcome to share their stories. To learn more and fill out an interest form, visit www.kawc.org/podcast/ siendo-primero-being-first.