Traveling to and from our nation’s coasts in hopes of gaining new insights into the world of broadcasting, Norwood High School senior, Erin Crowley, and Carlsbad High School senior, Allie Degour, participated in Carlsbad’s first ever broadcasting exchange program.

“Our two broadcasting teachers Mr. Green and Mr. Jeb Brunt knew each other and wanted to try an east coast – west coast swap,” DeGour said. “They needed to test the exchange program first and both agreed Erin and I were good representations of each of our programs.”

From Oct. 11 to Oct. 19, Degour flew into Boston, Massachusetts to stay with Erin Crowley and attend her classes with her to uncover new aspects of a different high school and its broadcasting class, aiming to take back valuable developments and implement them into Carlsbad’s program.

“Over summer I got an email from my broadcasting teacher telling me I was going to California for a week and that I was going to have a girl come live with me for a week,” Crowley said. “I was super excited to get to come to California and for this experience.”

The two teachers informed the girls that they specifically choose them to test the waters of this possible future tradition, because they thought they would be a good match and positive, emblematic examples of each particular school’s broadcasting class.

“The main difference between our schools is Carlsbad has two hours to produce their morning show and our school’s is more extracurricular,” Crowley said. “I get to school early before the day actually starts; we have half an hour to produce the show and its within the first minutes of our day, so we don’t get a whole class period to prepare like Carlsbad.”

Norwood’s classes usually consist of editing and pitching story ideas. There are typically twenty students in the morning that work on the show as opposed to an entire class.

Crowley arrived in Carlsbad on Dec. 2 and left Dec. 9. In addition to attending school with one another, each girl experienced a glimpse into the ways of the different coasts.

“In Boston we went to Gillette stadium, went apple picking, pumpkin picking, and saw the foliage,” DeGour said. “I took Erin to San Diego, LA and Hollywood, and we went shopping in Laguna. It was interesting for both of us to experience such different parts of the country.”

Through the broadcasting, touring, and plenty of quality time, the two aspiring reporters built a genuine friendship.

“It was really cool that we got to meet each other from across the country because we ended up having a lot in common,” Crowley said. “It was kind of meant to be that we ended up doing this program together.”

Crowley and DeGour were the first to try out the program, and their success has lead to a strong possibility of future tradition of a broadcasting exchange program.

“Not only did we learn a lot about each others broadcasting programs but we made a new friendship that is going to last for a long time,” DeGour said.