Article by Renee Scutti & Photography by Brendan Flanagan | Owl Staff
WHFC’s Paul Chuffo positively impacts HCC students interested in working with the radio.
Do you know someone who has really encouraged you? For me, that person is Paul Chuffo.
Radio was very new to me when I started at HCC. He took the time to teach me and did not expect me to understand everything immediately. He is patient and has allowed me to learn in a way that has positively impacted me.
“Getting to know people, having a network of people, that is essential in this business,” says Chuffo.
“I want them to make their own mistakes. To me, that’s the important part.”
The most important thing to me was how he helps students build their confidence.
“If somebody can come out of here with critical thinking, but also be accepting for feedback, that’s what they’re going to deal with in their life,” states Chuffo. “I want them to make their own mistakes. To me, that’s the important part.”
As I’ve learned, even if I needed reminders, Chuffo has always shown me grace. I’ve had so much fun working with him, and I look forward to working with him in the future. He has also helped me develop joy and excitement for everything that I am currently learning or will learn in the future.
Over the last few months, I have learned that there is both an effective and an ineffective way to mentor someone. Based on my personal experience, I can say that he is one of the mentors that has impacted my life in a positive way.
I have developed a sense of confidence that I did not have before. I’m grateful that I’ve had the chance to learn so much from not just one person, but a group of people who are incredibly encouraging. It is people like Paul that have the most impact.