I have always been a writer. Even before I learned how to structure a sentence or write my ABCs, I was practicing my “cursive” on every scrap of paper my sticky little hands could grab. Now that I do know how to structure a sentence, writing has become a true passion of mine. I write every day. Whether it is in my head, composing a quote about how I am feeling or laboring over a research paper on my computer, I love writing. It is truly how I express myself best. This summer, I want my passion to take me all the way to New York City. I want to learn everything that I can about the magazine industry and the people who work within it. There is no better way to do that then to go there.
Not only do I love writing, but I hope someday that I will be able to make money doing what I love. I get excited when friends need me to edit or give advice on their papers, and that’s for free. Being paid to write and think of new story ideas every day would be my dream job. People always ask me why I am a journalism major. “There are no jobs,” they say. My response to them is that there are jobs, you just have to know where to look for them. Today there are not only print jobs but online writing and editing jobs as well. Maybe there aren’t many available, but they are out there.
I always knew I wanted to write for a living, but I discovered last year that I also enjoy creating media packages to complement my writings. With art history as my second major, I have learned to truly appreciate and look for the beauty in all objects. This has led me to enjoy the aesthetics and creativity that go along with video, photo and sound editing.
I also tell people that I want to be a journalist because you never know where that degree and set of communication skills will take you in the world. I have so many options. Working at a magazine would bring me opportunities to meet people that I would never have met otherwise. I recently wrote about Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success in New York. And recently I was lucky enough to meet her in person. As part of my Magazine Interest Group here at the University of Oklahoma I was able to interview an Oklahoma native whose sole career is fashion blogging. She gets paid for it and often accompanies writers from big name magazines to fashion shows all around the world. I am just so curious to see where this career will take me. There are countless opportunities as long as you keep an open mind and an open heart.
One of the opportunities for which I am most excited is to apply (and hopefully be accepted!) and work at a magazine for the entire summer as a NYC intern. I have been an avid reader, now I want to know what goes on before my now-not-so-sticky hands purchase the magazine. There is so much more that goes on besides writing that I want to experience. I want to see how a story is born. I want to observe how they complete the research, the writing and the editing. I think that there is more that goes on behind those doors than I can ever imagine.
Growing up in Dallas, I have always been a city girl. When my aunt moved to New York and I went to visit her by myself at the age of 11, I knew that this would someday be my home. I loved every part of the city. From the busy street corners, the city noise all through the night and the interesting people that you meet on the subway, I just could not get enough. There is something about the city that once it gets in your blood, it will never truly go away. I’ve been dreaming about an internship like this for the past year, though it was intimidating at first, I have grown more and more excited as the prospect grows closer. It is a huge opportunity, one that I cannot pass up.
There is so much vibrancy in New York. I would want to do it all. Eat at all the restaurants. Find eclectic clothes in SoHo. Drink the finest wines. Lose myself in the best museums in the world. Stand in line to get TKTS for all the newest Broadway plays. And spend my Sunday afternoons eating a hot dog from the street vendor and lying in the grass in Central Park. Maybe this is a romanticized view of the city, but to me, those things, a good job and a sweet cat are the things that are important in life. Most importantly, I would get to spend the summer with my aunt. We have always been very close but distance has made it difficult to spend time together. But if I lived in her apartment for the summer, we would have so much time to bond with one another all over again.
Recently I spoke with two OU alums who also participated in New York City internships. They were both amazing, confident women who shared their advice freely and willingly. They talked about how this experience changed their lives. One decided after this internship that the magazine industry was not for her. Part of trying new things is not only discovering what you like but also what you do not like. They were able to share with me their experiences about living in New York. They talked about how they not only learned about the magazine industry and how it worked but also how they made friends within the intern program and networked with dozens of people.
Some days I feel like such a nerd, but I truly love what I do, and I get really excited for each new semester because it means new classes where I will learn more skills to benefit me in life. This spring has been one of my most interesting semesters. I will continue working at my website internship at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art where I am engineering their brand new blog. I will get to help design the layout, decide how it will function best and then start dreaming up the first articles. I will help facilitate the editing of articles sent in by other staff members and control when everything gets posted. I am taking another class to learn more advanced skills and software used in video editing and online journalism. And the class that I am most thrilled about is web aesthetics. I am learning how to look at and design the most user-friendly and beautiful websites. It is an enriching semester of learning new skills.
During this search for an internship I have been surprised how much I learned about myself and how others viewed me. I was truly humbled that my journalism professor, John Schmeltzer, a Pulitzer prize winning journalist, was willing to write a recommendation letter. And that the director of the art museum, who previously worked at Sotheby’s and Christie’s, had enough respect for me to take the time from his busy schedule to write a letter as well.
Readers, keep your fingers crossed that I am given this amazing opportunity to be a New York City intern next summer. I’ll let y’all know something as soon as I know!
simplysalmagundi 