I dressed up as Mister Rogers for Halloween, and my friend Carrie helped me to make King Friday XIII out of felt, a foam ball, a wooden dowel, and gold pipe cleaners.

I loved watching Mister Rogers growing up, but it wasn’t until I was older that I realized how much influence he had on my life. I now work at Los Angeles NPR station KPCC, and I believe that my early love and exposure to public broadcasting helped determine my career path.

Much credit also goes out to my parents, who passed their enthusiasm for public broadcasting on to me and instilled a love of learning.

Public media is a unique and essential resource that connects me to the world, and its quality content keeps me informed, engaged, and enlightened.