Mr. Andy Youso graduated from the University of Northwestern – St. Paul (UNW) and decided to come back to pursue a career in radio. He currently is the Afternoon Personality on 98.5 KTIS and he produces the podcast, Manly with Andy. Youso is super creative, passionate, and humble. He enjoys sharing God’s message over the radio every day.
Youso attended college at UNW because it offered him a Christ-centered environment and the ability to learn more about the media industry. Entering college, he didn’t know what career he wanted to pursue. That was until he joined Radio Workshop—a class that is available to all students at UNW. This class provided him with a creative outlet for all of his wonderful ideas, and the opportunity to be live on-air. He absolutely loved it and found his new dream job. Youso says that dreams can develop, change, and evolve, and that is exactly what happened.
When Youso graduated from UNW, he accepted his first on-air position in Sioux Falls, then moved on to his second job in Oklahoma. At first, he was reluctant to move, as he wanted to stay in the Twin Cities, but God had other plans. Youso says it is important to be willing to try new things, and that is what he did. After his time away from the Twin Cities, Youso moved back as the Morning Show Host at KTIS, then transitioned to the Afternoon Personality.
Youso stressed the value of internships and networking. Getting a broad range of experience is important because you never know where your career is going to take you. KTIS has many internships available for college students. In fact, Youso’s first internship was at KTIS. When he had his internship, he also made sure to network. Talking with professionals is vital in creating relationships with the people in your field.
Youso gave such invaluable advice, but one thing that resonated with me was, “God gives us the doors, but we need to turn the knobs.” We can’t just sit back; we need to go out and make our dreams happen. Youso said that sometimes when we lose an opportunity, it is easy to give up and not try to open the many other doors that are available to us. He urges everyone to always search for new experiences and to pursue the things we find interesting. Turn the knob and walk through the door, and if it is locked, move on to the next. God created a path for all of us. We just need to follow.
“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!”
Ephesians 3:21
He holds Ephesians 3:21 close to his heart, which states, “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” No matter where his career took him, from Sioux Falls to Oklahoma, and as close as the Twin Cities, he knew God would always be working in his life.
During Youso’s time at KTIS, he has received many emails from listeners saying that the songs he has played or the words he has said made a difference in their life. As he creates his content for his show, he turns to God to give him the words to say. He always reminds himself that we are only vessels, and that God speaks through us.
Working at KTIS for 10 years has allowed Youso to grow and mentor many people in a Christ-centered community. He absolutely loves his job and can’t wait to see what else God has in store for him!
Talking with Youso was truly inspiring! It was a pleasure to hear about his journey and career path. He gave the best advice and generously gifted me the book, Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon. Go check it out! He loves this book and so will you.
You can listen to Andy Youso weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on KTIS 98.5 FM and on his podcast Manly with Andy on myktis.com.
