Skakun, Cheryl (Now ‘Van Der Raadt’)
Cheryl (Skakun) van der Raadt attended Radio and Television Arts from 1973 – 75
Cheryl Skakun and her brother Wes Skakun
Originally from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan I lived in Thunder Bay at the time I started school at Confederation College. I started RTA and within two weeks my brother, Wes, followed me into broadcasting from a course in Business Administration. He found that my classes sounded more interesting than what he was taking at the time. My interests were in television even though I had problems with performance anxiety while on the air.
After graduating in the spring of 1975 I moved to Dryden, Ontario to work at CKDR as copywriter and in programming. After working for a summer in Dryden I moved to CHAB Moose Jaw, Sask. which was a larger market. Here I did copy writing until moving across the street to CBC Television. I then did receptionist, script assistant, and programming assistant until the television station moved to Regina, Sask.
After a few years with CBC doing script assistant for the evening and late news (my favorite job), I married Paul van der Raadt whom I met while researching his father’s camera store for a commercial I was writing. We then moved to Saskatoon, Sask. where I worked for CPN Television (The Community Programming Network) a forerunner of cable television which was subsidized by the provincial government. The network was not a success and I then left to pursue other careers in engineering as an engineering secretary, and later the medical field as a medical receptionist and later as a medical referrals clerk.
In 2000 I began a career with the Department of Defence at CFB Dundurn, Sask. and remember the falling of the Towers quite vividly having watched it on television that morning with my military co-workers.
I have had a number of solemn experiences over the years as 20 military members from Shilo have not returned from Afghanistan over the years. I have dedicated my life to the military environment and now work for The Royal Canadian Artillery Museum (The RCA Museum) at CFB Shilo, as Administrative Coordinator.
I use many of my skills obtained in Radio and Television Arts to plan events, and use my photography and writing skills to compose a newsletter for the Museum.
I am now divorced but have three adult son’s who live in Calgary, Ottawa and Brandon, Manitoba where I now reside.
My hobbies are photography, Facebook, blogging about music, travel and walking and enjoying my wonderful dog Farrah.
I am impatiently waiting for grandchildren and retirement!
