Summer 2012 Interns

Will Dahlberg

As WBHM’s Morning Edition Intern, Will Dahlberg happily spends the early summer mornings writing, rewriting, and then rewriting local news and headlines for Tanya Ott.

Will moved to Alabama in the fall of 2011 from northern Vermont, where he had spent most of his life. A graduate of Hiram College, he is currently writing the final draft of his M.A. thesis for Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. His love of public radio started as a teenager– he first started listening while working at a piano and organ restoration business.

While he has worked many various jobs including landscaper, bartender, newspaper journalist, and housing administrator, he now balances his internship while finishing his thesis, working at a restaurant, writing an oral history book, and longing to squeeze in a few minutes tinkering with his vintage military motorcycle with a sidecar.

Remaining time is spending having fun with his girlfriend Katherine and her daughter, Marley. Both of them, thankfully, tolerate his crazy schedule. They all live together in West Homewood.

Walker Kennedy

As a rising sophomore at Bowdoin College in Maine, Walker Kennedy spent a fair share of his first year at WBOR, the student-run station. Returning home to Birmingham for the summer, Walker hopes to gain more radio experience at WBHM to help him in his new role as WBOR’s new Music Director.

Aditi Jani

By day, Aditi Jani is a WBHM intern, but her nights and weekends are spent studying for cell biology, writing science research papers, and throwing pots – a skill that she is tragically far from mastering.

A junior majoring in molecular biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Aditi is a member of the Early Medical School Acceptance Program and the University Honors Program. While her interests range from narrative medicine and science education to pandas and traveling, she hopes to pursue a career in academic medicine. Born in London and raised in Birmingham, Aditi has listened to WBHM for most of her life. With her passion for education and interest in journalism, she hopes to increase public awareness in the fields of science and medicine.

When she is not working at WBHM or doing something science-related, Aditi enjoys reading books that are not found in the teen-bestseller section and running/walking (mainly walking) with her rather chubby chocolate Labrador, Seina.

Amber Ritchie

Amber Ritchie is a UAB junior from Gadsden, AL. She majors in Journalism and minors in Philosophy. She works in promotions and booking at the Bottletree Café. She writes for UAB’s student newspaper, The Kaleidoscope, and is a DJ for Indie Hour on UAB’s BlazeRadio. She is also a volunteer advocate with Rape Response at the Crisis Center of Birmingham. She is an avid music lover and is extremely excited to work with Tapestry at WBHM. She hopes to move to Nashville, TN, after graduation to pursue a career in music journalism and continue work in a music venue. She loves reading, music, writing, traveling, and her two cats, Sylvia and Grendel.

Em Wiginton

Em Wiginton’s history with public radio started somewhere around the age of eleven, when she discovered her love for A Prairie Home Companion and chose “garrisonkeillor” as her first online screen name. It blossomed into a beautiful and meaningful relationship years later, when her history teacher assured her that the government would cut NPR’s funding before Em ever had a chance to work there. Em now works as an intern at WBHM, where she enjoys completing small writing/editing tasks and decorating her desk with Hello Kitty stickers.

Em attends Hayden High School, a comically small facility in the boondocks of Alabama. Although she spends most of her time there glaring threateningly at her peers, she also takes part in marching band and scholars’ bowl. She plans on attending UAB in the fall of 2013, where she hopes to major in communications.

When she’s not down at the station, Em spends her free time selling coffee at farmers’ markets and pursuing her numerous silly interests, including comic books, girl bands, rooting through thrift stores for old dresses, writing, and exploring the city of Birmingham.