When I left campus in May, it felt like it would be forever before I would return for my sophomore year. I mean, over three months of summer?! That seemed like an unthinkably long amount of time.
And then, suddenly, it was almost over.
As I enjoy the last few days of my internships, I can’t believe how fast the time went by. I had a wonderful summer working for the Communications department at the Office of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer as well as writing for a group of local newspapers.
I’ve learned so much from both internships, and I’m so grateful for these opportunities to explore the fields I’m passionate about. Here’s a bit more about what I worked on this summer!
Communications Internship at the Manhattan Borough President’s Office
The view from the office!
I was extremely excited for this internship, as I hoped it would allow me the chance to do a lot of writing as well as learn about how elected officials communicate with the press and their constituents. Luckily, that’s exactly what I got out of it. I was constantly writing, from social media posts to press releases to memo reports addressed to Borough President Brewer, whom New Yorkers affectionately refer to as “Gale.”
I also learned how to conduct social media analytics in order to track the success of Gale’s Twitter and Facebook accounts. I got to shadow her at events and represent her at important meetings across the city multiple times. I also had the opportunity to sit in on her meetings with NYC nonprofits such as the Museum of Arts and Design.
Gale’s Twitter page
The internship was not only great because of the work I got to do, but also because of the people I got to do it with. I learned so much from speaking with Gale, the Communications team, and interns in other departments. Through the office, I was able to attend exciting activities such as the City Hall Ceremony for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and a tour of the Office of the NYC Chief Medical Examiner forensics lab.
The City Hall ceremony for the US Women’s Soccer Team. I had a great seat!
Journalism Internship at Straus News
After having an incredible time writing and editing for Student Life, WashU’s independent student newspaper, throughout my first year, I was so happy to get the chance to write for local papers back home in NYC. This summer, I wrote for Straus News’ four Manhattan papers: Our Town, the West Side Spirit, Chelsea News, and Our Town Downtown.
I didn’t know what to expect when I started. I’d always heard stories of companies making their interns just get coffee and file papers. And I was okay with doing that if it meant being in an actual NYC newsroom.
But it was a wonderful surprise to learn that what I’d get to be doing was actual reporting and writing.
A few issues of Straus’ papers. You can see my article, “Council Vote Splits Neighborhood,” on the first page!
On day one, my editors sent me down to the Stonewall National Monument to interview visitors about the Police Commissioner’s apology for the NYPD’s actions during the Stonewall Riots, which he had just issued hours before. My article on it ended up running on the front page of Our Town Downtown. That’s when I knew that this internship would be more than just typical intern tasks.
Over the next two months, I got to cover a wide variety of topics, from the NYC Pride Parade to education politics to panels on gentrification. The experience was extremely challenging, but also incredibly rewarding.
One of the hardest parts was finding sources. Whereas at Student Life I could often find many of my sources right on campus, at Straus I had an entire city to tackle. Because of how sources were not easily accessible to me, I became far more comfortable with cold calling and “shoe-leather reporting,” which involves getting out into the city and approaching people to talk to them for a story.
The NYC Pride Parade!
Although I’m sad to leave these amazing opportunities behind soon, I’m so excited to get back to school. I can’t wait to see what sophomore year brings!
