Congratulations –

CiTR 101.9 - Germ Girl (Chloe Aimee Roger)

I have always tended to be on the anxious end of things. When the Covid pandemic hit, this obsessive-compulsive pathway in my brain took the reins like it never had before. While I never used to think about germs in a way that elicited fear, I suddenly became consumed by the need to perform time-consuming cleaning rituals to soothe my germ fears. Getting caught in obsessive-compulsive cycles is extremely isolating and detracts from individuals' capacities to pursue their passions, extend love and care to their communities, and live life in the way they want to, however that may look.

Germ Girl is a creative, nonfiction audio project that reflects on concepts of contamination and germs. Asking how humans have evolved in their understanding of what disease-causing outside contaminants are, how we learned to avoid them, and why we feel we ought to? Highlighting perspectives from medieval historians, microbiologists, and community members invested in mental health.

Germ Girl explores the host's journey of reconciling her relationship with germs and managing her overwhelming, all-consuming germ fears. Learning that living among microbes is a far too natural part of life, the audio piece concludes by accepting the porous nature of being human and rejecting the fear associated with living with germs.

This was my first ever audio project, and I completed all aspects on my own, from script writing and editing, to recording, audio editing, soundscaping, mixing and mastering, and even cover art design and social media posts. I am extremely proud of the work and fell in love with the art of podcasting throughout the four months of production.

Check out the award-winning submission:

2026 Documentary