- Graduation Year: May 2014
- Major: Broadcast Journalism
- Specializations: Political Science and Philosophy
- Hometown: Elmhurst IL
- Hobbies: Zumba, BodyCombat, running, doing jail ministry
Campus Activities
- Resident Advisor
- Fitness Instructor at Campus Recreation
- UI7 News teaching assistant/ director
- AIESEC
- WPGU 107.1
Internship | Investigative/Consumer Intern at NBC 5 Chicago
Duties
Researched, developed and organized multiple stories at a time for consumer reporter Lisa Parker and Producer Robin Green
Developed initiative skills by presenting information to reporters and producers daily
Answer tip-line, listen to viewers stories and determine whether it was newsworthy or not
Call viewers and investigate the story
What did you most enjoy about your internship?
I most enjoyed having the opportunity to go out on shoots with the reporters. Being on the scene and practicing stand-ups was so enjoyable! The opportunity to be surrounded by professionals, and see them at work inspired me to be better. In addition, calling viewers back and using my own news judgment to piece together a story made me feel like a part of the team.
What was the most difficult aspect of the internship?
The most difficult aspect of the internship was maintaining confidence. In such a fast-paced industry, no one has time for you. Its important you learn how to be precise, aggressive but humble and appreciative at the same time. When presenting to the news team, it was a time difficult to answer all the questions. It’s the intern’s job to do the research, and so you have to solve problems without much help.
How did your experience at ILLINOIS and in the College of Media prepare you for your internship?
The skills you learn from writing to journalism ethics were all used during this internship. My knowledge about law was used, knowledge of asking good questions, writing, even understanding news language was extremely important.
How has your internship prepared you for a career?
It allowed me to explore other positions. Working with a real news team, at a top ten news station allowed me to see more of what broadcast journalism has to offer. It helped me to realize the trajectory of my career, and to seek wisdom from reporters, and other professional personal. This internship helped me develop my skills, confidence and vision for the future.
What recommendations do you have for other students about doing an internship?
Know that your job is to learn. You must stay humble, ask questions and seek everything out. Nothing is ever handed to you. There is no change without a challenge, and so if you want to grow, you have to do what you don’t know how to do. Learn it while you’re there.