My ten weeks is up at the paper. I’m sad, happy, feeling accomplished, relieved and full of information. It didn’t feel like a job to me and it didn’t feel like a burden. I just mindlessly drove the same path, everyday for ten weeks. I met many people, shook their hand, gave a smile, learned their story, then proceeded to report it. Then, it was read by a large audience. My writing, was printed onto paper, and thrown into stranger’s mailboxes before the sun rose.
I call it journalist training because I learned three times more about the field being immersed in it than I would have sitting in a classroom. I don’t doubt that professors have an impact on my education, because they do, but experiencing life first hand is what works the best.
I’m tired, exhausted, and thrilled about it. I learned about a vegetarian power lifter, a bone marrow donor, and a veterinarian who makes in home visits for euthanasia. I learned and experienced the power alpha-quartz sand has on healing the body. I tasted weird ice cream flavors with shrimp, kale, cheddar and Doritos. I learned how to sell your home effectively in the spring and what the current trends are for selling lake homes. I drove around to different gas stations and saw all the poison they sell for busy people who aren’t preparing their meals. In addition to that, I learned tons of healthy info from a nutrition intern. I learned how to talk to strangers without stumbling over my words (slightly). I learned time management and all the different ways to stay awake, and that I should take a long vacation from caffeine. I managed to master walking in heels and figuring out that my closet meets professional attire standards.
None of these topics are covered in the classroom, they’re covered in and out of the newsroom.
I didn’t fetch coffee for other writers, I didn’t go through stacks of paperwork either. I worked with amazing editors and writers and brainstormed with them about stories and ideas. They treated me like an adult and didn’t get upset if I made a mistake. They helped me through an important part in my life that i’ll never forget.
My internship was fantastic, just in case anyone was wondering…
If YOU want to learn about what I learned, click this.