Nick Pavel was in fourth grade when he remembers riding around in his parents car listening to the radio. The South Dakota native thought that it would be a neat job to one day become a radio announcer. These days, the 19-year-old sophomore is doing his best to make that dream a reality.

Like many of his classmates at Northeast, Nick has spent time on camera anchoring the news and he's been a disc jockey on the campus radio station. But trust me, Nick faces a challenge few other broadcasting students do. He says, "The retina didn't form in my eyes when I was born."

This broadcaster in the making has been completely blind since birth but he's never let it slow him down, "Even though I have a visual impairment, I can't see anything, it doesn't mean I can't do anything you know so if you have a dream like I have, like my dream to become a broadcaster I just go after it."

Northeast Broadcasting Instructor John Skogstoe has been impressed with his student from the very beginning, "He's willing to try everything and nothing phases him, in fact he makes jokes himself about his disability and totally disarms us."

One of Nick's keys to success is a high-tech device called a BrailleNote. It allows him to type in the information before he goes on the air.

Nick has enjoyed his time in Norfolk, "Everyone has been really great here at Northeast. I think there are a lot of people that are really impressed of how I do all my work and everything."

Marcus Warnke marvels at his classmates abilities, "It's pretty amazing with his memory and everything, he remembers everything like how many steps it takes to get to a class."

Nick says, "I guess I've always thought I could do anything.

And it's that can-do attitude that is bound to serve Nick well in the future. "Never say never, if someone says you can't do it, but you think you can do it just go for it and who knows, your dream might come true."

Nick says his goal is to eventually get a job as a morning DJ at a radio station and keep on getting bigger and better. And who's going to doubt that this young man can get it done, with that kind of attitude, he'll accomplish great things in his life! And he's well on his way, last February, Nick was crowned the Northeast Community College homecoming king.