My name is Nathaniel Rego, and I am an individual with autism from Dartmouth. I have a great passion for writing, making videos and communications in general. I am majoring in mass communications. I have created written works, YouTube videos and podcasts throughout my life. Doing so builds my confidence and makes me feel a part of things.
Communication is very important to me because it enables me to interact with others. With the start of high school, I became fascinated with YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, just as I had with writing and creating podcasts.
Through my middle school years, I did not know how to communicate with new people I met. When I was introduced to YouTube by my parents, I began to make videos and connect with people who had channels and videos of their own. I commented on and liked some of their videos. I also was involved in online conversations with fellow YouTube users.
When I was at Bristol Community College, I had published some of my writing, including an article on the Titanic disaster and some film reviews. At the time, I was contributing to The Hawk, BCC’s student newspaper. Also, I hosted my first radio show at BCC, a program I called EW, for Entertainment Weekly. I felt very proud, as the show enabled me to reach out to an audience. It taught me about responsibility, because I learned how important it is to be upfront with my radio audience when discussing various topics. I also listened to podcasts, which helped further inspire me as a DJ.
The success of my radio show at BCC gave me the confidence to sign on to host my own show on WBIM, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê’s radio station. Not only does being on the air increasingly boost my confidence, it also allows me to interact with a campus-wide audience and feel that I’m more a part of the university.
My WBIM show is called The Review, and its theme is all things Disney. I’m on Fridays during the semester from 1 to 2 pm. I am a major Disney fan, and each week, prior to my show, I create an agenda, which includes my introduction, a selection of Disney songs to play, and news topics mainly concerning Disney theme parks and movies.
As an individual who has autism, I have difficulty with communication. However, the radio show has made it easier to reach out and connect with others. I’d like to assume I have an audience who listens to me every Friday, and I enjoy being part of the university. This experience helps me envision a future in the field of communications. What I have learned from being on the radio is that it allows you an opportunity to be heard.
That is precisely what I want in the future – to be heard.