Hi there! I’m Bre Wilson, the Early Learning and Literacy Coordinator at South Carolina ETV.
Prior to joining the SCETV family, I worked in education for a little over five years, as an educator and curriculum writer for both adult and early learners. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of South Carolina in 2013 and my Master’s degree in Education from Columbia College in 2015. The reason that I absolutely LOVE my job at SCETV is because I get to marry my passions for journalism and education. And working for PBS is a dream come true, too!
My job as the Early Learning and Literacy Coordinator is an exciting one. No two days are the same, which makes me eager to get up every morning to start my workday. Primarily, my job is focused on training early childhood teachers and community educators about our SCETV and PBS resources, and providing ways that they can implement these resources in the classrooms. Pre-COVID-19, many trainings were done in person, while others were conducted online. We are now doing all trainings virtually until further notice.
Another large chunk of my job involves community engagement, primarily with the early learning community, which is a fancy way of saying that I get to coordinate events and contests for children and families, which is AMAZING! Recently, we participated in National School Breakfast Week, where we traveled to schools across the state with SCETV’s original character, Smart Cat, to promote nutrition and fitness. We performed a skit that I created, hosted games, facilitated Q&A sessions, and completed fitness sessions with Smart Cat. That week was so much fun, and I am looking forward to doing it again. In addition to these fun activities, I also coordinate Bright by Text services for our station, which includes getting subscribers, and creating text messages for distribution 1-3 times a week. I also am working with a group of my colleagues to write new Smart Cat interstitials, and I’m working on activities and workbooks to go along with the new episodes. I do a lot at SCETV, and I love every minute of it.
In light of COVID-19, SCETV launched an At-Home-Learning initiative (like many of our peers), which is going very well. We have modified our broadcast schedule and we have created supplemental activities to go along with the new schedule. Our modified schedule, supplemental activities, and virtual professional development webinars can be found here. During these challenging times, we are also making sure our social media presence is heavy. We even celebrated the Week of the Young Child (April 13-17) with social media activities for our little ones. Our Facebook page can be found here, and we are also active on Twitter and Pinterest.
The most challenging part of my job is being new to the agency. I have only been working for SCETV since January 2020, and although I’ve worked in media before, I have never worked in public media; therefore, every day I am learning something new regarding public media and my agency. Research is what helps with this challenge, though. On my downtime (not that I have much), I find myself scanning SCETV’s and PBS’ websites, just to gain more knowledge of all the things we do! Educating myself beyond my job duties has really been helpful, because I often get asked to help in areas that I do not work in, which is great for me, because I love being a part of all things media!
If I could go back and tell myself anything after my first week on the job, I would say,
“You’ve got this, Bre! You are doing a great job. You are enough!”
I had so many questions during my first week that it brought on slight anxiety. I remember constantly thinking, “Oh goodness! Your continuous questions are going to make them think they didn’t make the right choice!” But, thankfully, that was not the case at all! I have great supervisors and colleagues who answered my questions and taught me everything I needed to know about the agency. They reassured me that there was no such thing as “too many questions” which certainly eased my “first week of the job jitters”. So, one piece of advice for those starting new positions is to NOT be afraid to ask questions. When you are NOT inquisitive, it can leave more room for error. Of course, you want to research as much as you can, and learn as quickly as you can, but if you have a burning question, just ask it! Be confident that they chose you for a reason.
Speaking of confidence, that is my second piece of advice for those new to their careers or for those looking to change careers. Be confident in yourself! Here’s a secret – I almost did not apply to the job that I have now. Although I had been in media prior this position, and was also working in education, I was still worried that someone with more experience would be chosen, so when I applied, I did not think in a million years that I had a chance. Once I got offered the first interview, I did all research that I needed to do, and I did mock interviews with family and friends. Due to the mock interviews and research, I was very prepared and confident during all of my interviews for this position. When you are confident that you know something and are prepared, you perform better.
Another piece of advice is to never get too comfortable. If you are new to your career, learn all that you can and remember that if your first job is not your dream job, it’s okay. Each position is meant to teach you something, so learn what you need to learn, and then apply it to the next best opportunity that comes your way. I am only 29 years young, and I have been in many fields – media, education, and customer service. Each of these positions has prepared me for my current position at SCETV. The key is being confident enough in yourself and your expertise, to go for that next best opportunity! At each job, literally soak in everything you can. Join committees, help out with tasks that may not be assigned to you, and network! Putting yourself out there is key with many organizations.
And putting myself out there is exactly what I have been doing with SCETV and PBS. Not only have I helped in areas beyond my immediate responsibilities, I also applied for PBS’ Early Childhood Educator Professional Learning & Engagement Design Challenge, and I got accepted! This is a major accomplishment because out of all the PBS employees nationwide, only 15 of us were chosen. The application process was very intense, and in order to apply, I had to find that confidence. My supervisor actually was the driving force, because she felt like I was very qualified, and encouraged me to apply. That is another blessing of working for SCETV and PBS – I have such a great support system at my station and all of the other stations across America. So, if you are reading this and you are new to PBS, you are in good hands!
As far as my future, it sounds cliché, but honestly, I never see myself leaving public media. My future goals include creating and producing shows for SCETV and PBS. I believe that I am taking a step in the right direction, with my work on the Smart Cat interstitials project. My ultimate goal has always been to create TV content that educates, entertains, and informs. I have some ideas brewing, so stay tuned…
Looking to connect with Bre and learn more about her experience or to obtain additional career advice? Email her today at: bmwilson@scetv.org.
