Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska
Majors: English major with German and journalism minors
Why did you choose your majors/minors? I’ve always really enjoyed English and German, and I figured I would do the best studying what I have interests in. I decided to minor in journalism as well, because it is a good way to learn to apply what I’m learning in English. The more I learn about it, the more I like it.
Internship title and organization: I was an intern at a newspaper called the Ostholsteiner Anzeiger in Eutin, Germany. Eutin is a small town in Schleswig-Holstein. It is the sister city of Lawrence.
What were your responsibilities during your internship? My responsibilities changed throughout my six weeks there. In the beginning, I spent a lot of time reading newspapers and focused on practicing my German. I got to write an “About Me” article the first week and a journal-style article every week after that about my experiences in Germany. A couple of weeks in, I started writing a “Tourist of the Day” article everyday, where I interviewed interesting tourists in Eutin about their visit. This was a great opportunity for me to practice my conversational German. Additionally, I got to go along with my coworkers and boss to a lot of interviews and events.
What was your favorite part(s) of the internship? I really enjoyed seeing what I wrote in the newspaper. It was pretty cool picking up the newspaper the day after you worked on an article, and then reading it. It was like “Hey, that’s my name! I know her!”
What did you gain from the experience that will be valuable to you in the future? My German really improved while I was there. Also, this was my first experience working in journalism, so I got to apply what I knew about writing already, while learning how to improve it there. Most of the tips and tricks I learned apply in English too!
How did you find out about this internship? Jimmy Morrison came into my German class last fall and spoke about interning in Eutin. He is a part of the German department and coordinates internships to Eutin. He said he could work with people studying in different areas, as long as they were also learning German.
What advice would you give students who are considering an internship? I would tell them that if they can do it, they should do it.
What do you plan to do next? I am in Naval ROTC, so I have two more years at KU, and then I will be in the Marine Corps.
What do you like best about studying in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at KU?
My favorite KU memory is… I can’t think of a specific one, but I always love a good basketball game.
The best advice I ever got: Anytime I go anywhere, my dad tells me to have fun, but not too much fun.
How do you recharge your batteries? I run to recharge my batteries, which sounds a little counterintuitive, but it works. It gives me a chance to clear my head, and do something physical after dealing with assignments, or other people, or whatever is bothering me that day. And it is always nice to take a break and get outside.
What motivates you? Whenever I’m working out or doing homework, I think of the tater tots I’ll eat when I’m finished.
Your superpower would be … Turning invisible would be pretty cool.
Images courtesy of Kathleen Meeds.