Folashade Olatunde’s dad went to prison when she was two years old. She used to visit him all the time with her mom — until her parents got divorced. Now, it’s been more than a decade since she saw her father. In this extended version of an installment of Radio Rookies, Folashade shares a series of open and honest audio diaries and invites listeners on her journey to rebuild her relationship with her dad.

As the lead producer for Radio Rookies, WNYC’s youth media program, I worked with Folashade over the course of a year. I mentored and taught her as she recorded her first visit to see her dad in prison in 12 years and worked with her to come up with a direction for this piece. Since recording devices were not allowed in the prison, we relied heavily on months of personal and intimate audio diaries. I created an initial structure for the piece and added some light scripting to weave everything together. After an eight-minute version of this piece aired locally on Morning Edition and All Things Considered, I pitched a longer version to Notes from America with Kai Wright, formerly known as The United States of Anxiety, and worked with the show’s producer, editor and engineer to create an 18-minute version of the piece.