John Gabalski, an Orleans County 4-H member, traveled to New York City February 21 and 22 to shadow MSNBC/NBC News anchor Craig Melvin as part of a 4-H “Day in the Life Experience.”
John was nominated for the trip by Orleans County 4-H youth development educator Robert Batt and was chosen by the National 4-H Council from among 4-H youth leaders across New York State.
He is 15-years old and is considering a career in broadcasting. John said the trip was amazing and Craig Melvin, a 4-H alum, was a gracious host. “It was an inspirational experience,” he said.
The “4-H Day in the Life Experiences” are part of an alumni outreach effort which connects 4-H youth to notable 4-H alumni.
“These experiences offer a 4-Her the opportunity to shadow an alum in their everyday career setting, experiencing their leadership in action through immersion activities, participating in meaningful leadership experiences with the alum themselves, illustrating how 4-H alumni are paying it forward to the next generation of leaders,” the National 4-H Council said.
Dvon Williams, director of integrated marketing, National 4-H Council, traveled with John as he visited Melvin at the NBC Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York. She said John was chosen because of his interest in journalism and broadcasting and his role as a 4-H news reporter.
John is also the first 4-Her to take part in the “Day in the Life Experience” Williams said. Similar experiences will be planned for 4-Hers in other parts of the country.
John spent four hours with Craig Melvin on February 22, learning first-hand what it takes to be a news anchor and reporter at a major television network. Melvin took him on a behind the scenes tour of NBC News, including the Nightly News studio, and treated him to lunch at the NBC Commissary.
“I had some pasta, a roll and fruit,” John said. He and Melvin ate their meal in Melvin’s office while they discussed the process of producing Melvin’s one hour weekday news broadcast – MSNBC Live. Melvin is also co-anchor of the Today Saturday edition.
John was able to watch Melvin’s February 22 broadcast live, while listening to the show’s director through an earpiece. That proved to be his favorite part of the experience. “It was very interesting to see how everything works behind the camera,” John said, “the way they handle the cameras and the lighting. It’s pretty cool.”
John has been involved in Orleans County 4-H since the age of five, joining as a Cloverbud. He is currently a member of the Rabbit Raisers and Outback Orleans Clubs and serves as a member of the Orleans 4-H Senior Council. John is the son of Walter and Kristina Gabalski of Byron and is a 10th grader enrolled in the Seton Home Study School.
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