Author bio:
Fiona Hastings is the News Director for Cal Poly’s student-run radio station, KCPR 91.3 FM. When she is not on the airwaves reporting live local news or sharing her favorite music with you, you can find her at Shell Beach, running the Bob Jones Trail or on the upper sports complex playing futsal like her life depends on it.
I can confidently say that during the first half of my sophomore year at Cal Poly, I was stuck in the ultimate “sophomore year slump.” I felt extremely isolated and had a hard time transitioning to living off-campus. However, I found someone who would pull me out for good, who would eventually become my closest and most trusted friend for the rest of my time at college.
KCPR, our lovely, student-run radio station, is that friend. Like in any friendship, KCPR saw me at my best and worst and brought out the most genuine side of me. When I often felt challenged, I was always rewarded with the constant pleasure of community and support.
At the end of my freshman year and after getting rejected from my “dream” of becoming a KCPR DJ, I knew I had to find another in to this organization I saw plastered all over Building 26, on flyers around campus and on the stickers covering my peers’ water bottles. It was my sophomore year when I began my journey as a KCPR news reporter and content writer. With these new roles and my school workload, managing this new life almost always felt unbearable. However, with the support of the new team I was a part of — including the News Director Jordan Triebel and Assistant News Director Emmy Burrus at the time — I came out the other end a stronger audio reporter and a more confident individual.
I could go on and on about my gratitude towards the organization and its wonderful leaders who helped me through what I felt was one of the hardest times in college. Once I got into the groove of newscasts and creating audio stories, I was off to cover events like the Rolling Loud Music Festival in Los Angeles. Soon after, I was applying to be the News Director for our station. But between the years that felt like a blur, I felt like I had a lot of ideas stuck in my head with no idea how to get them out.
Luckily, inspiration was all around me. I learned to make these passionate ideas into a reality, especially through the creation of KCPR’s first Spanish-language podcast and programming. I never imagined myself creating a podcast, let alone one in another language! This was when I felt the proudest in my abilities as a storyteller and creator. I proved to myself what I can accomplish when I dedicate myself to something and push through the hardest moments. When in doubt, I now have something to look back on — a meaningful accomplishment, beautiful friendships and unforgettable experiences that changed my life forever.
While I am walking away from Building 26 and Cal Poly with the title of “previous KCPR News Director,” I do not feel that it truly describes the person I became throughout my time in the organization. I am now a “confident individual, who believes you can do anything you set your mind to.” I thank my friends KCPR and MMG for that title.