by Nicole Hackett, Student Public Relations Writer
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again. Right?
This was the motto of Cedarville University senior Alyx Vissing, who was attempting to secure an internship at Trans World Radio (TWR). It was her hope that the internship would lead to a full-time position with TWR.
Vissing, a senior broadcasting, digital media, and journalism major with an emphasis in radio from Willow Wood, Ohio, first heard about TWR from Cedarville alumnae Kelly Gilbert, who is also a daughter of one of Vissing’s professors.
Gilbert came to speak in one of Vissing’s classes. At the time she was in the fundraising process and now she serves full-time as the radio marketing coordinator and program producer in radio partnerships at TWR.
“We think of radio in the U.S. as ‘behind the times,’ but radio really is the cutting edge in so many places around the world,” said Vissing. “TWR broadcasts in over 275 languages, enabling them to share so much with so many people, and I liked the idea that I could participate in global missions without leaving the states.”
Vissing applied for TWR’s internship program, but even though she was accepted into the program, TWR was not able to find a placement within their ministry that fit Vissing’s skill set.
“It was really confusing for me because I felt so strongly that God was telling me to do this,” explained Vissing.
Around this time, Vissing decided to pursue a women’s ministry leadership role at Cedarville University and added a women’s ministry and biblical counseling minor to her degree. During Vissing’s junior year, TWR reached out again to see if Vissing would still be interested in interning with them.
“All of the skills and knowledge that God had grown in me since the first time I applied was just what I needed,” said Vissing. “I'm so glad I didn't let my first rejection discourage me from pursuing a TWR internship again.”
Vissing worked in TWR’s Women of Hope ministry, where she engaged in a variety of projects including branding, scriptwriting, and podcast production. But one of her favorite aspects of the role was the women she met on the job.
“Having an environment where the older women pour into the younger women was super encouraging,” said Vissing. “I am still in touch with all the women I worked with. Being with them confirmed what I’m passionate about and what I want to do forever.”
After graduation in May, Vissing will return to TWR as a full-time missionary serving as the Women of Hope audio/visual production coordinator. In this position, Vissing will plan and produce all audio and visual content for TWR-Women of Hope, which includes recording and voicing content, finding and training talent, and editing and producing the finished product.
“Being able to return full-time is honestly a dream come true,” expressed Vissing. “Knowing that every day I will be able to do what I love, within such an incredible community at TWR, and use that to serve others and bring glory to God is just the most incredible thing I could imagine. It’s the kind of thing lots of people search their whole lives to find.”
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,550 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including its Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting, Digital Media, and Journalism, strong graduation, and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.