Summer in the City

After our 12 hour trek in my dad's Chevy, I was ready to get out and see what this city had to offer. Needless to say, map quest got the best of us when entering downtown DC, and after the third time around Washington Circle and almost being side swiped numerous times, I was really ready to get out. When we came to a stop, my dad looked at me and said, "This isn't going to be anything like Maine Sar." He was right. My first feelings of this city were intimidation, worry and excitement all at the same time. I mean, having to walk everywhere? Or take a bus? Things are too far to walk to in Maine, and if I ever needed something, it was a matter of getting in my car and throwing it into drive. After a short time, the bewildering streets leading through the city became home, and all of my new classmates, professors and supervisors became lifelong friends.

Our program professors had an incredible way of instilling confidence in each one of us. When Amos said, " We want to make you uncomfortable, bringing you out of your comfort zone is how you learn," he was exactly right. At one point or another, each of us was frustrated with our group members, our assignment, our time constraints and just the feeling that there wasn't enough time in the day to get everything done. At the end of the day, we all made it through, and made it through successfully. You know you were successful when you can look back and say, if I could do it over, I would do this instead... you have taken from the experience and will make those changes the next time around. From this program I know I gained an appreciation of time management, a new perspective of technology and an interest in taking on challenging tasks just for the feeling of accomplishment that comes when the work is done.

My internship at the Georgetowner was exactly what I expected. Upbeat, unpredictable and hectic. I came here with a major in Broadcast Journalism, but had already interned at a news station in Bangor, Maine and wasn't interested in another beat-reporting job. Amos understood immediately that I was looking to learn more about the business aspect of Journalism, and sent me to the Georgetowner to do just that. The publisher soon became my new best friend, and I came to learn her ways, as well as what needed to be done to keep the paper running very quickly. The best part about my internship was not going on trips to meet connections with her, but that I was writing, making databases, updating event calendars, taking pictures, filming broadcast clips for the web site, basically learning every in and out of the publication. Each day was a new day, and in the journalism business, that is something you have to look forward to.

Everything about this program was a learning and growing experience, and I would recommend that everyone interested attends. Not only is being in the city incredible itself, but the exposure that you are given is enough to allow one who either loves journalism, or one who is on the line trying to make a decision about the career to make it. There is something for everyone here, things you may have never expected yourself being interested in, or seen yourself doing. You will never know though, until you get in the car, get on the plane, or on the bus, make the trek, and come find it yourself.