Co-op Journalism: My Internship Reflection

If you’re creative or have a knack for writing or video production, you may be interested in Gulf Coast’s Co-op Journalism internship course. I had the privilege to be one of the first two students enrolled in this program. Registering for the course felt like a last-minute decision. I was already gearing up for a full semester when I noticed the journalism internship in the online course search. Now, I’m so glad I participated. As the spring semester draws to a close, I’ll share my experience and show why you should consider this opportunity.

Course Description

The Co-op Journalism course gave me the opportunity to develop professional writing skills while earning college credit. The heads of the program who helped me throughout my internship experience are my supervisor, Professor Sandra Pugh, and my employer, Dr. Erika Goines. The best aspect of this program was that my supervisors gave me the freedom to choose my goals and focus on the skills I wanted to develop. I chose to hone my professional writing and digital publishing skills by writing for Commodore Waves. However, my fellow student, Daniela Oestreich, focused on video production and covering sporting events. This internship is perfect for any student who is diligent and independent.

Weekly Workload

Each week, my coursework consisted of writing an article and a short reflection post. My responsibility was to research, write, and format articles for publication. However, the internship did not limit me to covering Gulf Coast-related topics. I also wrote about things that personally interested me. One of my favorite articles was my review of Marvel’s Disney+ show, WandaVision. That post helped me grow significantly as a writer because I learned to critically evaluate a piece of pop culture and organize my thoughts in a professional and entertaining manner. Although my work was mostly independent, my supervisors supported me when I needed help. Over the course of the semester, I produced fifteen published articles and a professional portfolio.

Lessons Learned

I learned three main lessons during this internship: how to take initiative, write efficiently, and conduct interviews. My work required me to take initiative as I planned out how to present information in an informal and engaging way. Since I was completely in charge of planning and writing my own articles, I had to keep up with campus events and organizations to discover newsworthy topics. For example, I attended one of FSU PC’s Game Nights to write a report on those events.

The internship also challenged me to be efficient since I had to write an article each week. Initially, I struggled with perfectionism since I am used to fine-tuning academic papers, but the demands of my internship taught me when enough editing was enough.

Most of all, this course led me to hone professional communication skills as I interviewed professors, employees, and students. For an early article, I met with Zenovia Goss, the SGA Student Events Coordinator, about upcoming campus events. I enjoyed interviewing her so much that I profiled her later in the semester. I also profiled Mr. Joseph Lloyd Harris, my former math professor, to learn more about his experience at Gulf Coast and his new position as Dean of Student Engagement. Additionally, I covered campus organizations such as Gulf Coast’s tutoring labs and the Career Center. My internship taught me how to build connections with others and become more involved in campus life.

Final Thoughts

So, what did I gain from this internship? The freedom to grow professionally while flexing my creative muscles on personal projects. Thanks to the Co-op Journalism course, I began to develop the writing skills I need to succeed in my future career.

If this internship appeals to you, contact Professor Sandra Pugh at spugh@gulfcoast.edu.

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