U.S. News and World Report, Washington, DC
As an international student, from Paris, France and a rising senior at Williams, majoring in Political Science and Spanish, I wanted to thank the Class of 1972 for providing me this opportunity to pursue a summer internship in the field that I am passionate about. I decided to spend the summer in Washington, DC working as a news intern at U.S. News and World Report. This has been a tremendous opportunity to learn more about the media industry, and has confirmed my will to pursue a career in journalism after I graduate.
At U.S. News, I was able to write and publish over 10 articles, focused on a variety of topics such as climate change, renewable energies, education, and very topical subjects relating to the current political administration. As part of the U.S. News model, most of my reporting was data-driven, focusing on studies and statistical analysis. This was very new to me, and I often had to pull my knowledge from my STATS 101 class at Williams.
The highlight of my internship was when a political reporter offered to let me spend a day on the Hill with her. I was lucky to be there on a very important day for the country: Wednesday, June 27, 2018, when Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement. I will always remember the chaos and excitement that happened in the press gallery when the news dropped, all journalists hustling to report on it the fastest. It was also the day an important vote was made on immigration, rejecting President Trump’s proposal for a reform of the immigration system to a tougher one.
That same day, I had the chance to witness a debate between Senator Chuck Schumer from New York and Senator John Cornyn from Texas. The Senators were explaining their differing positions on immigration, in times where the country was shaken by the heartbreaking sights of migrant families being separated at the border. This enhanced my desire be a reporter in the political field, and have the opportunity to experience first-hand the making of decisions about the future of the country.
I also had the chance to write a feature-length story about the legalization of recreational marijuana in Massachusetts, and the economic impact that it would have on the state. This article gave me the opportunity to interview many interesting people. I had the chance to speak with leaders of interest groups advocating for both sides of the issue, some pointing to the economic advantages of the new law, while others were hinting at the social costs that legalization would bring. I also spoke with public representatives at the town and state level, and managed to get their views on the matter. I spoke with doctors and specialists to understand the risks of legalization, and with future shop-owners about their business plans and security measures. This reminded me why I wanted to be a journalist: to have the opportunity to talk and interview a wide variety of interesting people, and tell their story.
As part of my internship, I also got to participate at an intern event at the Washington Press Club, a leading international organization with a mission to help reporters worldwide and fight for the freedom of the press. The event highlighted the importance of investigative reporting, by forecasting the work of four journalists, at The Washington Post, The New York Times, and CNN who worked to expose the truth. For example, Matt Apuzzo was part of the team who broke the story of the NY Police clandestine spying of Muslim communities, while Beth Reinhardt helped investigate the sexual misconduct allegations against candidate Roy Moore during the Special Senate election of 2017. In the panel were two female reporters, Beth Reinhard and Amy Brittain, both Pulitzer Prize-winners who are examples of the smart women I deeply admire and was honored to meet.
It was truly fascinating to hear from these reporters whose work I have admired, and whom I aspire to one day follow. Moreover, the event gave me the opportunity to meet other interns working in the field, and to make connections that will help me throughout my career. Living in Washington, where so many interns come for the summer and where the heart of political reporting stands, I was able to grow these relationships. As an international student, I would not have made these connections and friendships in the U.S., where I hope to stay and work, had I not had the opportunity to live in Washington for the summer. The ASIP grant gave me the opportunity to stay and work here, something I am truly grateful for.
Journalism has always been my passion. Before U.S. News, I had the chance to intern at a small local newspaper, The Buffalo News in Buffalo, N.Y. This experience was extremely rewarding, as I was exposed to a lot of different “gigs” or areas of expertise, and really felt the impact that the paper had on the community. I also had the opportunity to participate in a Winter Study Course called “Journalism Today,” taught by Williams alumna Liz Rappaport ’94, former Life & Arts editor at The Wall Street Journal. As part of this class, we got to go to New York City and meet journalists, editors, and important people in the industry, while visiting the headquarters of major publications and online media. I also wrote for the Williams Record and The Berkshire Eagle during my time on campus.
My internship at U.S. News furthered my will to work in journalism, and took my interest to a national level, at a major news outlet. It was an interesting platform to analyze, as U.S. News made the important leap in 2010 from a print magazine to a fully digital product. In times where journalism is changing, and people rely more and more on the internet to get their information, it was interesting to be at the forefront of a company which had to make some hard choices and reinvent a model in order to survive.
More than just a job, my internship made me realize that my colleagues were the kind of people that I wanted to surround myself with throughout my life and future career. The passion and commitment that I saw in them, working endlessly to research, interview, find the truth and convey it to the public really impressed me.
I have had the chance to be surrounded by great leaders, who really cared about me. My editors took time to comment and edit my stories thoroughly, always explaining their changes, and ultimately helping me improve my writing tremendously. I hope to take the knowledge I have gained here and apply it to my future Williams papers.
I would like to thank the Class of 1972 for their kind support, which really helped me throughout the summer. Your generosity shows me the strength of the Williams network, and I hope to one day help a future Williams student the way you have helped me. I would also like to thank the ’68 Center for Career Exploration for awarding me this grant, as well as for their help and advice throughout my internship application process.
As I prepare to leave the Purple Valley and enter the working world, I will cherish this experience, and take the lessons I have learned in my internship into my future journalism career.
Thank you so much.
Megamenu Social