Leaving HRS but how it changed me for the better

Tonight's post is really to mark a big event in my life I think and that's the end of one thing and hopefully the beginning of others.
When I was 17, after recovering from illness I wanted to get out and meet people. I'd done a short course prior to being home educated for a few years and although the people on that course we're lovely, I'm quite a sociable person and I felt like I wasn't meeting nearly enough people. I also felt like I wasn't doing enough to get into my chosen career. All through education you're told that exams matter but experience in the industry you want to go into is just as, if not more important. I feel this is true and so I wanted to give some of my new found energy to that. I've always wanted to become a journalist from as far back as I remember - except for that one year I had a career change and wanted to be either a makeup artist or a doctor... Must of thought they were similar? But from the age of six I remember drawing on a board at home and pretending I was presenting the weather or shuffling papers and pretending I was on the news.
My mum then suggested-  had I thought about volunteering at a radio station?-  as broadcast journalism seemed particularly fascinating to me. I hadn't.. Really because I didn't see how you could get into something like that without having experience, but this confused me as I realised you had to gain experience from somewhere. So I accepted this mission and I looked up local Hospital radio stations, finding my closest was only 15 minutes away. To cut a long story short, after sending off an application and attending a lovely warm and friendly interview, and had the correct vaccinations (as you go on medical wards), CBR checks and occupational health checks, I begun. Some would be put off by the process that you have to go through but I don't see why, it's all for your safety and the safety of the patients. The main thing the team informed me was that even though the radio is fun, the happiness of the patients is our priority.
After two amazing years of laughter and learning part of an industry I want to go into as a career, I feel joining hospital radio has been the best choice of my life outside of education so far. All the people I met and worked with  became good friends and I feel definitely better and broader as a person for the experience.
I'm only leaving now, more prematurely than I'd planned, through my health not being too good just at the moment  and the demands of A Levels meaning I have to, but I'd honestly recommend anyone interested in working in radio, even interested in learning skills on how to talk to many different people, to give it a go. Volunteering of any kind is so rewarding, so if you have even just a little time I'd say go for it :).

Footnote - This post is a little late! Started writing it about a couple of weeks ago but been ill, so infact should of been posted sooner if it seems random:)

Molly