Trent Ferguson is a USF student hoping to work in radio. Although Trent’s story is a little different than most students. He has a visual impairment and refuses to let it hold him back from his dreams.
“We have to work twice as hard as sighted people to get a good product to prove ourselves… If that involves going to the professor and making sure I’m on the right track, so be it. I will do anything in my power to produce something good,” said Ferguson in an interview with our reporter Diego Adesso.
Sticking to his conviction to produce quality work, Trent uses a screen reader software called Jaws. This program reads aloud text on electronic devices. This helps Trent hear emails and complete copy for radio pieces.
When he was a kid, Trent felt mature for his age. Instead of watching cartoons, he found himself tuning into local radio stations. Before attending USF Trent was a radio personality for WNZF for about five years.
when he came to USF he received support and encouragement from his peers. Professor Wayne Garcia was introduced to Trent via a personal email. Garcia views Trent as a student that only comes once in a lifetime.
“It opened up a puzzle that kind of became: can a blind person do this thing of ours,” said Garcia.
Trent is a beloved member of the Zimmerman school and continues to work hard every day. He’s even started a sports podcast! Trent is expected to graduate from USF in the Summer of 2025.
The SunDolls take Daytona
The USF SunDolls competed in nationals in Daytona. The team made it to the finals in both division one and the pom and team categories.
They placed second in Pom Division One and finished sixth for the team performance in Division One.
This was the team’s first time competing in pom. Needless to say, the team was thrilled to bring home their first trophy in program history.
Credits
Anchors: Jimmy Rosilio and Abbey Papasodero
Producer: Joao Victor Pina
Reporters: Diego Adesso and Samantha Allen
Social Media: Ari Angelo
Editor-in-Training: Melissa Baldelomar
Teleprompter: Samantha Allen
Video Editor: Aviva Kram
Cameras: Ari Angelo
Audio: Victoria Harris
Web Editor: Justin Michael
Graduate Assistant: McKenzie Muskett
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Anderson