A few years ago, we were all in masks and high school graduations we're done in a drive thru format. Having a wife teaching at Fruitport, when the drive thru was happening, I asked if they had thought to get anyone there to tape the kids and families as they came through to get their diploma, and the answer was no. It was a wild time of everyone trying to figure out what to do.
Wasn't much to it from our end. Tape the cars coming through, see some kids, add an intro and some b-roll and there's a little keepsake. We shared the video for the kids to see and along came a "Like" from "Kolton Woods Weather". Who is this and why have I not heard? Fruitport had a weather kid? Better meet him!
We did, and as we talked, I explained to Kolton that one of the biggest missing pieces for me was giving someone else a training ground. I offered him the chance to be the Muskegon Channel Weather and he said yes. From there....he was on to Valparaiso to really get his learn on while we helped with a little income and a place to just be. Believe it or not, a major key to broadcasting is a place to be left alone and just become you. So....ever since that day, Kolton has been building and growing...we've not needed to do much, never figured we would have to. We just gave him space to hit the gas.
His fall semester is wrapping up and it won't be long until college is over, so we grabbed his audition tape off LinkedIn today to show you the work he's been doing along with the day to day work he does for us back here at home to keep us all up to date on the Muskegon weather.
Media. Local media. It's important and the future of broadcasters begins in places like Muskegon. We are so thankful and proud Kolton picked us to do his "minor league" time with and as he continues to grow, we'll all look back and say "remember when". Keep on keepin' on kid. We're behind you all the way.
