About two weeks ago, I was sitting in front of my computer in class and slacking off; I was scrolling through jobs listed on Indeed that might possibly interest me. The last two and a half summers I’d worked at Subway, but I was sick of that. It was a good first job to have, but I have decided I’m ready to apply to a job that has something to do with the potential field I’d like to work in someday. Many of these jobs include freelance photography, book manuscript designing, and writing. When I scrolled down through the internships listed, I almost had a heart attack when I saw a realistic option for the summer that I didn’t even fathom was possible. My friend, Tia, was sitting next to me and asked if I was okay because even the teacher had looked at me. It wasn’t hard to notice my excitement because I sat at the front of the room.
I almost jumped when I saw there was a photography/video internship with Star Tribune in Minneapolis. The chances of myself getting in is next to non-existent. While I feel ready based on my knowledge of cameras and composition, I know I need to improve on my journalism skills in general. However, there will always be an importance to improve on whatever task I decide to take. On this note, I realized there is no harm in trying. If I never tried applying, I wouldn’t have gotten in regardless so I might as well try for that one percent shot.
The problem that I received from this, however, was the due date. It was due in one week. I was talking about the internship and my chances to Tia after class, and my professor told me a bunch of handy tips. Professor Grier is known at Winona State for photojournalism. Following him and receiving advice from him, to me, is an honor. He told me he’d write a letter of recommendation for me the moment he heard what the internship was. I knew another professor who could write a letter of recommendation for me. But, his class was difficult and he was harder for me to work with. However, his name is recognizable in the industry and it would make a difference in my application.
I was nervous to meet with him: Professor Vivian. I took news writing class with him last year. He knew what he was teaching, such as newsworthiness, ledes, and AP-writing style. Adjusting to his class structure and grades was a bit more of a challenge for me. That’s why I was shocked when he sent me an email with his letter of recommendation. Having a letter of recommendation from John Vivian increased the chances of me getting in tremendously, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Of course, I did the most work for it the day before. I got my journalism portfolio ready to go, but when I showed Professor Grier, many of them didn’t fit the realistic part of journalism. I was recommended to go to any or all the parts of activities that were happening today on campus and take pictures. That’s exactly what I did. I did this all by myself, and I felt proud. I went to see Aiden, the therapy dog at the IWC, and then I joined a NASA-sponsored event about moon rocks
After going to both events, I accepted the loss at this age that being accepted into Star Tribune was a dream. They haven’t gotten back to me yet, but I will be missing the tour of their headquarters. I realized I need way more experience of writing news articles/pieces than I do now. I want to keep my head and hopes high because I now have a fire in my soul now that is determined to get my work out there, whether it’s through photography, media, or dance.