From Meteorologist to Nail Tech to K9 Officer: how to turn a calling into a career

Tinisha Spain  00:04
From Illinois soul and the content creation lab at the University of Illinois. Urbana Champaign, this is a special teen edition of dialog, an exchange about culture, straight from the soul.

Curtis Beasley  00:22
Hello, and thanks for joining us. I am University of Illinois journalism student and Danville native, Curtis Beasley. Let's get started by introducing our teen guests today. If you all could please say your first name in your hometown. And just as a reminder, we're doing first names only because you all are minors, and we would like to protect your identities.

Melissa  00:42
My name is Melissa. I'm from Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Aniyah  00:45
My name is Aniyah, and I'm from Champaign, Illinois.

Felipe  00:47
My name is Felipe, and I'm from Champaign, Illinois. 

Zac
My name is Zach, and I'm from Carbondale, Illinois.

Curtis Beasley    00:53
All right, we asked our panel about the topics they wanted to talk about, and for our first hot take, we will be doing climate change. So what all comes to mind for you all when it comes to climate change, like, any first thoughts about it,

Zac  01:06
I kind of imagine, just like the polar bears. I don't know that's like, that's what like I've been like. I think when, like, people say climate change, that's what I think of and what I've been shown. But I'm not too educated on climate change.

Felipe  01:19
I think, like, ocean levels rising and a lot of animals just losing their homes.

Aniyah  01:25
I just kind of think of like a domino effect, because there's a lot of environmental like problems that lead up to climate change that I think we could all work on and fix.

Melisa  01:37
Yeah, I feel all the safe.

Curtis Beasley  01:40
Yes, certainly. So as you said, you feel Zac, you feel you may not be as educated on climate change. Let's meet someone who knows a little bit more about weather and climate, and we'll discuss what he has to say after this video. 

Andrew Pritchard  01:53
Hi. My name is Andrew Pritchard, and I work as a meteorologist in Champaign, Illinois.

I work as a meteorologist in the agricultural sector for Nutrien. My work here has a bit of a weather safety element. We get a lot of dangerous storms in the plains in the Midwest. So, I want to make sure that everyone who might potentially be out working in the fields is aware of these dangerous storms before they strike, so they've got that in their minds as they go through their day. And then, at Illinois Public Media, I work as a broadcast meteorologist, where I am telling the story every day about what the forecast is going to be, what sort of high impact weather that we have to deal with. And then when we have severe weather, I get on the air and get that live severe weather coverage. 

Sound from broadcast: We're tracking a line of storms that is producing widespread wind damage, and we've got embedded tornadoes possible with this line. 

You know, with climate change, something that I'm seeing here is some of these heavy rainfall events that we get in the Midwest. We're getting a lot of rain, and we're getting a lot more of it at once, with some of these big thunderstorms that we get here in the Corn Belt during the spring and during the summer and sometimes during the fall as well. What someone can do to kind of make a difference when it comes to climate change is to just be curious. There's a lot of information out there, a lot of it coming in fast, and a lot of it is emotionally driven and charged, and so just be curious and kind of do your research and be an open source of communication with others who want to kind of talk about that as well. So just try to inform yourself with as many sources as you can and just being kind of curious and open minded and kind of logical in the way that you think about the, you know, the science that drives the atmosphere.

Curtis Beasley  03:38
So what did you all think about Andrew and his advice?

Felipe  03:43
I thought it was pretty interesting. I didn't know that there's like meteorologists that are specifically in an agricultural sector. I thought it was more of like a overall thing.

Zac  03:55
But, um, I think like the weather, like climate change, really does affect weather, and like creates more extreme weather, and I think like he helps, like he does help climate change, but he also helps keep us safe and keep us informed. And I'm very thankful for that, because without that, I mean, it'd be really hard just to know.

Aniyah 3  04:19
No, I agree on that, especially the weather that we've seen within the past few years in Champaign, like seeing how it's changed. And I mean, Midwest weather has always not been that great, but it's been kind of noticeable. And I think when people like see those small percentages of how much the the globe is warming. Um, they don't really think much of it, but it it affect their effects. The effects are starting to become noticeable. So I think that's really important.

Melissa  04:53
Yeah, I agree. And I think it's very dangerous to do this video with tornado and. And so it's interesting,

Curtis Beasley    05:03
Yeah, Melissa, I'm happy bring that up too, because I'm sure you all are aware that recently, we were in a tornado warning, and there was actually a touchdown nearby in the surrounding areas in Illinois. So, as Melissa said, like, what how do you feel about you know, Andrew, specifically, as a meteorologist, his willingness to go chase those storms down to keep us safe, like, to give us the information we need to navigate those situations, like anything you say about that?

Felipe
Yeah, recently, in that storm, me, we had a tournament, and we were driving up there, and the storm landing, I think, was like 10 miles off from Rockford, where we were. We had to pull off from the highway in Rockford. And, like, you don't really realize how powerful the storms are until you're right there. We weren't even where the tornado touched down with the fact that we were just close enough you could really see the wind, the like, rain was pouring, wind was flying everywhere. There were stuff like flying through the air. And it was insane.

Zac  05:53
Yeah, it was, yeah, we were. We were on our way to a soccer tournament, and we had to stop, get off the highway, just because of the weather,

Aniyah  06:02
To know that there's someone who wants to go out there and, you know, chase down those things that's that's awesome. They're like a hero in, like, real life.

Curtis Beasley    06:14
Well, we can now move on to our next topic, which is going to be pop culture. And I want to ask, is there anyone that's specific that you all follow and like, get inspiration from for your style? Is there anyone, like, anything you kind of look into for fashion, feel about that?

Zac  06:34
Definitely, like, probably, like a lot about music artists, for sure, music artists, like pro athletes, that's really, like, I don't really listen like comical, like influencers, or like anyone that I like follower, because,

Felipe  06:51
Yeah, a lot of things with what he said, and then also just kind of like figuring out like other people are doing, because like fashion, especially like fashion, changes a lot. It's always kind of you know, you never know what it's going to be. Just like seeing people around you, you can kind of get an idea of what's going on.

Aniyah  07:07
Yeah, I think that's true. I look up sometimes I I kind of just want to go and wear whatever I want, but sometimes I do look like I don't have a specific person that I like follow for, like fashion inspiration, but mainly like Pinterest or Tiktok, like any popular apps like that. That's kind of where I get my inspo if I really want to dress up.

Melissa  07:29
Yeah, I'm agreeing.

Curtis Beasley  07:32
All right. Well, let's meet someone who turned her interest in fashion into a business. We'll talk more about it after the video.

Miracle O’Neal  07:39
Everyone thinks that being a nail tech is just a hobby, that's until it starts paying your bills. Hi, I am miracle O'Neal from Atlanta, Georgia, a 22 year old nail tech, also known as Miracle’s Nails. I started doing nails during covid at just the age of 15. It started off as something I did when I was bored, or just as a hobby, but what started off as pasttime turned into my real passion, and from my passion, I got my business. Since then, I've been able to grow my clientele and do amazing things like work New York Fashion Week and even Paris Fashion Week. I want you to know that never underestimate the small beginnings. Something that you start in your bedroom can literally change your life. If you're consistent, the nail industry is bigger than people think it is. It's business, it's branding, it's creativity, and most importantly, it's freedom. What you put your mind to can change your life and take you places that you never even imagined. So do it scared. Start small. Start big. It doesn't matter. Your dreams are just the arms reach away, trust in yourself and you can do all things.

Curtis Beasley    08:49
All right, so What are y'all thoughts about miracle and her message, and also just starting a business in general?

Zac  09:00
I don't know, just like the thing, like it was also we learned with the coach you interviewed earlier, like you can turn your hobby into a career. And that's like, like, one of the biggest things, I just really awesome if you could turn, like, something you love doing your in your time. But also, does it make it not fun because, like, you're turning something you did for fun, but now it's tied to, like, your living, like, how much money you make yourself.

Felipe  09:28
I think it's cool that she's showing that, like, a lot of people think that starting a business, you have to be starting something kind of big, like something that's kind of elaborate, but business is really just like everyday things that everybody like. If someone's going to go buy something, you're buying it from a business. If you're going to get your hair done, you're going to your business, like you're getting your nails done, you're going to a business. So everything can be a business. Doesn't have to be a big, elaborate whole thing. You can be a business that specifies for something that people do on like, common, like, basis.

Aniyah  09:58
Yeah, I think it's awesome that. She's doing that. She started when she was young, and it was something that started out small, like she said, like, things start out small, and if you love it enough, and if you work, like, hard enough for it, like, it can turn into something big. I thought that was awesome, especially going to like, what was it, New York Fashion Week, that's awesome. Like, like, that's just crazy. How far something you love can take you.

Melissa  10:26
Yeah, I think she's really good because, like, nails done in us. I think it's really good idea to open that, because I think that's expensive, and she wonderful.

Curtis Beasley    10:43
And before we move on, like, I might just ask a quick question, have you all ever thought about entrepreneurship, or, like, starting your own business? Like, even if it's not something that you you're dedicated to, but just like having the thought and passing ideas?

Felipe
It's always a thought. You know, we're all, you're all kind of young here, so deciding what we want to do with our lives. So I think it's always a thought in the back of my mind, but it's probably won't be what I end up going for, but I think it's a good thing to just always keep in your head that you can do it if you really put your mind to it.



Zac  11:14
For me, for sure, like, I've had thoughts of like, being like a financial advisor, and maybe, I mean, you could work with a business, but also creating your own financial advisory business.

Aniyah  11:27
Yeah, I've definitely thought about starting my own business when I was younger, just to make some money, since I was too young to get an actual job. But yeah,

Curtis Beasley 11:39
All right, we can now moving to our next topic, and so I'll start it with a question, what do you think about police dogs?

Aniyah  11:49
I love police dogs. I mean, I love any dogs. I love all animals. Um, I think it's so cool to like see they're using like, they're like, like, what their their abilities to, like, help them on the police force. And I'm, I bet it makes them happier throughout their day, because what dog doesn't make someone happy when they're working? Like, I think that's cool.

Melissa  12:11
Yeah, I think the dogs to police is really good job. They're really cute, and I'm really love dogs, yeah, really big dream.

Curtis Beasley    12:24
So now we'll go ahead and take a look at a video of some people who know a little bit about police dogs, and then we'll discuss after we see the video.

Alex Tran  12:31
Hi, my name is Alex. I'm with the University of Illinois Police Department. I am a behavioral health detective with our reach team, and this is K9 Lollipop. So, Lollipop and I, we respond to calls for service for people who are having a who are in crisis. So this could be anything from their they're displaying manic behaviors to they're having suicidal thoughts. We go there with in a co Response Team. So I have a social worker or clinician with me. When I graduated 2016 my first big adult job was the University of Illinois Police Department. I've been here since I got into the mental health aspect of things, because I've noticed run a lot of Crisis Intervention falls, and I wanted to make a difference. Lollipop. And I also go to a lot of campus events where we do presentations we have with students, especially during high stress times like finals or midterms week.

Ethan Fowkes  13:31
I'm Officer Ethan Fowkes. I'm a patrol officer at the university Illinois Police Department from Champaign, Illinois. And this is K9 Jet. So Jet, here is a German wire hair pointer. He is about to be three years old. He's a bomb dog. He basically does a lot of stationary items for call outs type of things. Then he also does explosive order tracking. You see him at the basketball games, football games, big time events where he'll be walking through the crowd. So say hi to us. So I chose to be a police officer just because it changed pace. Every day. I'm not sitting at a desk or an office. I get to go out patrol the streets. I want to be a K9 officer, just because it's a different type of work within the police department. Having a partner with you in the back every day that may drive you crazy is always fun. And then learning new things about the dog and the things that they do and watching them work is just something really interested me. And he still just gets me going every day out to work and makes things fun. And watching him is always enjoyable.

Curtis Beasley  14:23
Would you prefer the K9 or the emotional support dog?

Melissa  14:27
Emotional support dog, because I think it's really important. I really love dogs, and I mean, for me, it's really important like dogs to be like safely, and like to be like a dogs, he needs to play a lot. And I think to be like a police dog, it's too hard for for them.

Curtis Beasley    14:55
Yeah. And do you think like, maybe ever, if you're sad or feeling that down like a dog? Dog can help you feel better and lift you up. Yeah? Awesome. Anaya,

Aniyah  15:04
I love the the way that dogs are on the police force, um, especially the therapy dogs, like, like they said, like in times of stress, or when students are going through finals. I think that's really important. It could, like, be something unexpected that makes your day go better. It gives you maybe that little boost that you need to keep going when you have all of this schoolwork or anything else that's not even related to school. So I think that's cool.

Felipe  15:31
yeah. I love dogs in general. We actually, we have at our school, we have a service like therapy dog in the library. It's such a cute Husky. I love that dog so much. I think, guys, it is actually really useful. If you're stressed because the dog, the dog, didn't see your stress, it just wants to play around. Always happy. It's in a good mood, no matter what. So it's just nice little it's a nice thing sometimes,

Zac  15:51
yeah, um, I actually didn't know. Like, the police had like, I thought they were just, like the dogs that you see in movies where they just, like, attack you, or like, sniff drugs or like something, I don't know, but that was really cool to see. And like, have they work with them every day, just like the dogs? Like, go sleep at the police station? Do they go home with their officers? Like, I just, I wonder, like, what? Where did the dogs go after work?

Curtis Beasley  16:17
Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned that this video kind of helped shape your perspective, because, and I'm coming up short on his name, so excuse me for that, but the canine, I think his name is jet, I learned so in one of my classes, I was able to speak with some people from the uipd police department. And so they were saying, like, his job, or the dogs who are on the bomb squad, what they do? Like, let's say there's going to be a football game at Memorial Stadium. They got to go through and sniff the whole thing, right, for explosives for our safety. So, yeah, like, there are a lot of things that those dogs do that. Like, we wouldn't even know, just because of, like, what we see in the media. But before we like, wrap up, I wanted to ask you three because Melissa did answer, would you have a preference for a K9 or an emotional support dog?

Zac  17:04
Um, I think definitely an emotional support dog. Because, I mean, I just need, like, having someone to support you and to like pet and like play with that. That's, I think that's really important.