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Hosting a weekly radio show during her degree at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Leicester (²ÝÁñÊÓƵ) has given Lorrein Kumbuwa the industry skills she needs to realise her career ambitions.

However, shortly after Lorrein was first accepted to study Media Production at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ, she decided to take a gap year to complete an internship in film and television instead, during which she worked on live productions at The O2 and Wembley Arena.

She said: “I’m really glad I did it because it confirmed to me that I loved that side of the industry and that I wanted to learn more about it at university. I didn’t defer my place at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ though, which complicated things when I finished my internship.”

Lorrein had to start the university application process again, and with it being late in the day, she found herself having to go through Clearing.

“After a year of living and working in London, I wanted to study closer to home. I already knew I loved ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ’s Media Production course and facilities from visiting the campus during sixth form, so I just hoped that they would still have a place for me,” she said.

“Luckily, ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ’s Clearing process was really quick and easy. I called the team up and they helped to secure my place on the day.”

Reflecting back on her degree, the 2021 graduate is particularly grateful for the skills and knowledge she gained during her time with Demon FM, ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ’s award-winning student radio group.

Together with her best friend, Lorrein pitched a show to Demon FM’s producer at the time, and within a week they had a dedicated two-hour slot on the schedule. The pair hosted a weekly entertainment and current affairs radio show during the second and final year of their degree.

She said: “The first year we did the show we were on from 10pm to midnight and the next year we were given a 2-4pm slot. We had a lot of laughs and I can honestly say I had some of my best times on the show. It was a really fun and enjoyable learning process.”

From researching and scripting the show to interviewing guests and pre-recording segments, Lorrein got to further develop the technical production skills she was learning on her degree.

“It was great to take everything we learned on our radio modules and put it into practice outside of teaching hours. It gave us independence and taught us how to operate on an industry level,” she said.

“We had a great time and it was really a wonderful experience. It gave us the drive and ambition to realise what we wanted to do after university. We found that we loved it, regardless of the amount of time we had to put in, and there’s not many things you can say that about.”

With a few graduate interviews under her belt already, Lorrein is hopeful she’ll get her big break in industry soon. In the meantime, she’s producing her own podcast and is working freelance to support other independent podcasters with tasks such as editing and marketing.

She said: “I chose to study Media Production at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ because it’s a very practical and not just theory based. Both my degree and the opportunities I had through Demon FM have given me the confidence to realise and follow my dreams.”