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A Proposal At 16: KUNR Youth Media Student Interviews Her Grandma

KUNR Public Radio | By Janelle Olisea
Published September 12, 2020 at 7:00 AM PDT
Two women are hugging and smiling. They are looking toward the camera.
Courtesy Janelle Olisea
Consejo Nucum poses for a photo with her granddaughter, Janelle Olisea.

Imagine what your life was like when you were 16 years old. Were you cramming for a test, going out with friends, or getting proposed to? Not many people can say the third option, but Consejo Nucum, the grandma of a KUNR Youth Media reporter, Janelle Olisea, can. Janelle sits down with her grandma to discuss one of the most unexpected moments in her life.

JANELLE: You told me a story about how, when you were 16 years old, your boyfriend proposed to you. Can you tell me more about that?

CONSEJO: We were classmates from grade one to grade six. Every semester break, we were in our town doing some, you know, happenings. I was 16 and he was 17. Then one time he told me, ‘what if before I go to Manila,’ because he will take up medicine, he said, ‘let's get married now.’ I said, ‘Huh? I haven’t gotten married yet because I'm young.’ Then he said, ‘if you don't want to get married now, I will go to Manila, take my medicine and then you just wait for me.’ ‘Oh, okay. That's a good deal,’ I told him, ‘I’ll just wait for you.’ My boyfriend keeps on writing. Every week, I received a letter from him. After seven or 10 years, he's already graduated, but he's already married.

JANELLE: Did you wait for him? Did you have any other boyfriends?

CONSEJO: I really [waited] for him. I did not have any boyfriend.

JANELLE: Why didn't you get mad at him?

CONSEJO: Because I feel that I still love him, but maybe that's God's will, that that is my destiny. That the Lord will give me another man, and he will give my boyfriend another girl.

JANELLE: And as a result, you had six children! So obviously it wasn't that bad.

CONSEJO: I had six children. Yeah.

JANELLE: I'm 16, and I can't imagine getting proposed to at this age. What [are] your words of wisdom on love?

CONSEJO: Just enjoy your life, but not too much to destroy it, because you have plenty of time to meet young people before deciding on a life partner.

Janelle Olisea is a student at the Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology in Reno, as well as a reporter for our youth media program, a special partnership with the Washoe County School District to train the next generation of journalists. Since the start of the pandemic, the program has met remotely, and students have not been reporting in the field in order to avoid the transmission of COVID-19.

Music by Podington Bear.
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KUNR Youth Media relationshipsKUNR Youth Media

Learn more about the KUNR Youth Media program

Each fall and spring semester, our dedicated program coordinator partners with the WCSD educator to mentor a select group of high school interns. The internship classes are typically from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the high school, providing a structured environment where students receive comprehensive instruction.

The students are taught radio journalism, broadcast journalism, and media production, gaining real-world professional experience that helps them develop career skills. Students work with media professionals to produce creative audio stories and elevate voices from our region.

As part of the program, students are offered the opportunity to tour KUNR’s facilities and the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, where they will have the chance to record their broadcasts under the guidance of the WCSD educator and the program coordinator.

This semester-long project is designed to facilitate the airing of the students' stories on KUNR and the publication of their work on KUNR.org. Through this experiential learning approach, students gain valuable insights into public media and develop practical skills using industry-standard equipment.

The KUNR Youth Media Coordinator plays a crucial role in ensuring that students receive scholarly guidance on the standards and practices associated with audio journalism production.

Our program is committed to fostering a safe and constructive learning environment for all participants. KUNR is dedicated to nurturing the creative ideas of students in the program and, prior to publication, KUNR’s Managing Editor reviews all submitted work to ensure that it aligns with KUNR’s established media standards and expectations.

Learn more about WCSD Internships and view the KUNR Youth Media Program’s digital flyer.

This program was formerly known as Reno Youth Radio.

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