It is a great feeling for an instructor to see the success of a student or someone that was mentored. Marcella Jones gives me a great feeling as I watch and hear her become the "on air" Gospel Personality I envisioned over 7 years ago. Marcella and I met in the studio of WKKC. She was promoting a CD of the Choir she belonged to. She stayed in the studio and watched me have fun inspiring the people of God on WKKC FM. I guess that's when the bug hit her. She soon volunteered to work at WKKC FM getting up at 5:00 AM to perform on the Gospel Drive radio program.
Ms. Jones had no prior experience with radio but she had tremendous desire. I respected her for that desire because I could see that she was falling in love with radio and loved Gospel music. Most of all, I could see how genuinely she wanted to make the people of God feel good.
Marcella was faithful and throughout the experience on WKKC we would lock heads but I knew that she had something very special in her that would one day bless me. So I overlooked everything and took Marcella under my wing to train her.
Now she will be the first to tell you that working with me is no walk in the park. I am very passionate about radio. And sometimes that can make me a bit hard on a student. Being a personality is a great responsibility and a "gift from God." I am less tolerant when someone takes that gift lightly. Marcella endured all I dished out and stayed in there learning, learning, and learning.
In 2003, I became an assistant professor at Howard University, and Marcella continued to be faithful at WKKC as a personality. And just like I was rewarded for hard work and endurance she is reaping the fruits of her labor also. God is faithful and he sees all that we do. Especially the things we do from the heart. And Marcella always did things at WKKC from the heart. Believe me the salary was not all that.
In a recent conversation, I reminded her of how her friends and others would try to discourage her about voulunteering at WKKC. Because of her faithfulness God elevated her to a position of Gospel Music Director of WKKC FM which also got the attention of Mike Robinson program director of Gospel 1390.
The rest of the story is now history as Marcella has moved from the evenings to the mid-day the most "critical" day part position for Gospel Music. In my opinion, her spirit and personality are an excellent fit for the mid-day position on Gospel 1390. And I expect nothing less than the best from her.
Finally, this statement from Marcella says it all
Professor Miles:
"I still can't believe it, you saw something in me years ago and taught me everything I know and look what happened, I just told someone the other day that I used to watch everything you did from the way you talk and the delivery of your talk sets, to the music selection and the flow of the music. 2 things I will always remember you saying is failure to prepare is preparing to fail, and the famous always play skillfully (Psalm 33:3). Oh! one last one, talk to the people like you talk to your friend regina. Thanks for everything, I pray that I can make you proud. I love what God has blessed me to do.
Thanks Reggie,
Marcella you have already made me proud. Just keep doing what God has assigned you to do.
Thank You.
