You may have heard her reading the afternoon or evening news on KREM, or Music By Request on weekdays from 9 to 11, on the Punta Jam Session from 11 to 12, or every other Sunday from 1 to 5 on the R&R Show [Rest and Relaxation], when she spins oldies and other relaxing, soulful music. Or you may have heard her broadcasting the proceedings of the House of Representatives or the Senate Hearings into Social Security.

She has been working in broadcasting for almost 14 years, having her debut with the Broadcasting Corporation of Belize, a defunct Government agency, in October, 1992.

Before that Deseree taught for two years at Burrell Boom Methodist School. She said that ever since she was a student of Standard II, she dreamed of being a teacher. She attended the Belize Teacher?s College straight out of high school and went on to teach at Burrell Boom.

Her stint ended in 1992, when she resigned and ventured into broadcasting.

So what changed her mind about teaching? She told us that it was tedious and she was not really committed to it.

?You have different levels of students to deal with and you have to be committed and patient,? she said. At the time, she was 18 and not ready so she ventured off into different territory.

At first, she worked part-time, mostly on weekends, as an announcer for Radio Belize. In April 1993, she assumed a full time position there. She was the lady behind ?The Love Show,? aired on Friends FM from 8 to 10 a.m. on Wednesdays.

We asked her how she made the transition from teaching to radio. ?I loved it immediately,? she replied.

She saw a vacancy for the job at Radio Belize in August 1992 and the following month, she was called in to do a voice test. Deseree recalled that she had to read news items to demonstrate that she had a voice good enough to make people listen.

She had, unconsciously, been preparing for the job. She said that even when she had no aspirations to enter into broadcasting, she used to pick up the newspaper and read with the inflections of an announcer. She convinced her examiners and landed the job.

We asked Lady D what she loves most about being on the radio. For her, it is the people interaction: it is hearing people call in and say that they really enjoyed listening and that she has made their day; it is meeting new people, traveling, and the music itself.

?I enjoy the music,? she emphatically declared.

So would she trade her job for anything? She would? but her ideal scenario is being able to work in radio from 8 to 5 during the week and having more time to spend with her spouse and three children.

Those of us in the media know that that is hardly ever the case, except if you have an administrative position. Irregular working hours are a way of life in the media.

Deseree has aspirations to explore international arena and she hopes to pursue a masters in the field of broadcast journalism and or public relations.

For now, Deseree continues to enjoy her job, especially with the recently evolved the instant messenger technology, which brings listeners closer to radio personalities with the click of a button.

She enjoys getting immediate responses from people. Requests are sent instantly and the thank you?s flow in as speedily, boosting her enthusiasm for what she does.

The most challenging part of her job is doing outside broadcasts (OB?s) of formal proceedings, such as meetings in Parliament. She explained that you need to have some foreknowledge of what you?re doing, you have to do enough background research to convey the proceedings to a wide range of listeners?including the most intelligent. You have to know what you are saying and make sure people know that you?re on the ball!

As to how she meets the challenges of the job and takes care of her family, Deseree said that one must be spiritually strong.

?Once you put your mind to something, you can accomplish whatever,? she asserted. She said that even if you are not a churchgoing person, it is important to stay connected with the Higher Power.

?You can do your own mediation at home,? she said, adding that the support of family is important.