(Photo provided by Nate Herron)

JCCC students who have been to a sporting event in Kansas City over the last decade, other than a Royals game, have heard his voice over the public address system. He is the public address announcer for the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Current, Kansas City Monarchs, the University of Kansas and the Kansas City Comets.

Nate Herron, an adjunct professor, has been teaching at JCCC for four years and brings his voice and 25 years of radio industry experience to JOUR 202: Broadcast Performance.

“Had you told me five years ago I would be a professor, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Herron said. “But I think being a part of the community, sharing my background and sharing my experiences has allowed me to succeed.”

JOUR 202: Broadcast Performance is part of the Journalism and Media Department. Professor Herron knows that not every student who takes his class will pursue sports journalism, but no matter what their goals are, it will help make them incredibly marketable.

Chair and Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Communications, Gretchen Thum, told The Messenger that Professor Herron is an expert in his field, but according to her, he is more than that.

“I would honestly say the biggest contribution is his dedication to students,” Thum said. “He is a student developer, a great mentor and an excellent colleague who is really fun, natural and very approachable.”

She also explained that Professor Herron is vital to the Journalism and Media Communications Department because he works with her to shape the Sports Journalism Department.

“We have internships in journalism, and I frequently go to Nate, and he helps brainstorm positions for students within sports communication, sports announcing and sports public relations. And he works hard to help further students’ goals,” Thum said.

Professor Herron dedicates his time to helping students, and he has helped further students’ goals by sharing his career experiences.

“He relates things back to the real-world industry,” Stephen Walters, a student in Professor Herron’s broadcast performance class, said. “He also gives me that understanding of how our voices are a tool. As somebody who wants to use my voice as a tool, it’s nice to hear somebody else who’s passionate about that.”

Professor Herron connects with students by sharing his own difficulties in the industry. This gives him the opportunity to communicate the good and the bad.

“I share the highs and the lows,” Herron said. “You’re going to get it in any sort of performance-based field and meet challenges, going to meet obstacles, and you’re going to meet people that are difficult to work with.”

Professor Herron enjoys teaching the Broadcast Performance class because it gives him a chance to develop the next group of sports journalists.

“When students come, and they have a desire to be a storyteller, that’s the language I speak,” Herron said. “I want students to feel like when they leave the classroom and they go to whatever profession, whether it’s in [broadcasting] or something different, I want to give them the confidence, make them feel like they belong in the room.”

According to Professor Thum, even if some students say they are not interested in sports, Professor Herron’s enthusiasm is contagious.

“After every class, I’m feeling emboldened and impassioned to go and make my own videos and do my content,” Walters said. “He’s pushed me to feel more confident in my voice, but also to understand that we’re learning, and there’s always room for improvement.”