Study hard.
Make friends.
Jump in.

Most likely, this was advice incoming freshman had heard before from parents or high school teachers.

But last week, they were hearing this from a panel of four seniors who had just returned from campus from summer internships and shared their experiences as journalism students.

Freshmen with intentions to become journalism majors nearly filled the auditorium to listen to Andrea Cespedes, Leah Linder, Brian Janosch and Mallory Simon talk candidly about how to make the most of their time at the School of Journalism.


Mallory Simon, who has interned at Court TV and most recently as a scholarship winner at the Poynter Institute in Florida, urged new students not to wait to get involved in student media.

"I arrived here as a freshman and didn't know a single person, but I started writing for the IDS right away," said Simon, a New York native who has held several positions at the IDS, including managing editor. "As a freshman, I covered amazing stories. And, getting involved like this makes a big school smaller."

Leah Linder, who worked at Ruder Finn in New York, regrets not working at the newspaper.

"I was asked a lot this summer if I had worked at the student newspaper," she said. "All employers want to see your experience. This means you really need to be in touch with your professors, because they are your references, and you need to build a portfolio."

Getting that experience is key, Janosch agreed. He worked at Field and Stream during the summer.

"The thing about journalism is that regardless of the area, you have to get outside the building and classrooms. Classrooms won't get you a job," he said. "If you have a 4.0 and no story published or article published, that won't get you a job. Get out there and get started. The biggest mistake you can make is to graduate without experience."

Andrea Cespedes, who has had two internships at television stations, advised getting to know Marcia Debnam, career services director.


"Marcia is one of my heroes. She helped me start early with internships," said Cespedes, who worked for WISH-TV in Indianapolis this summer. Brian Janosch echoed this, warning new students not to toss Debnam's Career Matters e-mails, which list internship and job opportunities.

Several times, students urged freshman to make use of the school's offerings. Cespedes said that listening to guest speakers who visit the school is informative but also offers a networking opportunity.

"I got my first internship this way. I listened to a speaker, talked to that person afterwards and asked about getting an interview," she said. "I did get an interview and an internship at Channel 13."

Linder already has studied abroad and may go again in the spring. The journalism program itself provides some travel. Last year, for example, classes traveled to the Gulf Coast to report on the hurricane devastation, to public relations firms in Chicago and to Washington, D.C.

"I took a graduate class, Reporting the Law, and went to D.C., where we visited working alumni and sat in on Supreme Court oral arguments," said Simon. "It was an amazing experience to be there and know the journalism school is willing to send classes on trips like that. This is an experience a lot of people don't ever get."

Janosch talked about his travels covering stories for the IDS, remarking that stories can lead journalists anywhere in the world.

When asked about notable stories she'd covered, Simon cited one of her last reports for the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times this summer. An insurance company was denying coverage for a child who needed an organ transplant. Simon's coverage of the story brought the issue to the public, inspiring a state senator to go to bat for the boy with the insurer.

"You won't do these stories every day, but at times like that, when mother called me, crying, to thank me, is when you realize you doing the most amazing kind of work that anyone could do," she said. "The stories we tell, like this one, are those that other people never experience, never touch, in their jobs. We are so lucky and privileged to be in this work."


Read more about student internships.


Find out how to get involved in student media.