Not Quite the End of the Road Internship is over, but the future shines bright

So I just finished the Fall Home section for September (which ended up being a bit easier than what I had imagined), and I sat back in my computer chair and realized I had no more assignments on my plate. You know what that means? My internship has come to an end. What a bittersweet feeling.

Although I am relieved to have a little more time to myself before starting school again at the end of August, I am going to miss being involved in the magazine industry. From being handed assignments and giving phone interviews to writing 300-word stories and editing them, the internship has been a journalistic cycle that I have enjoyed thoroughly. Like I mentioned before, I have learned so much that I never would have learned in a college class. It has made me realize that in the future I could possibly dip into the magazine world again, and I’ll have knowledge that others may not have.

Looking back, I must give myself a little bit of props. From the time summer began until now, I have divulged myself into St. Louis Woman Magazine, giving every free moment to finishing assignments. With no pay and most summer days spent inside, I am proud to say that I finished and now have the experience under my belt.

I also want to give St. Louis Woman Magazine props for the opportunity in hopes that they realize how much they have assisted me. In comparison to summer classes, the magazine has been like a school for me with Rebecca and Laura being my teachers. They have guided me on how to start/finish projects, taught me what to do in certain situations and have been great leaders for me to follow. I want to thank them for that.

Now for the future? Well, I still have a bundle of ideas on I want to do. I just know for sure that I want to finish the school semester with good grades, work more hours to save money and see where life takes me. Maybe one day I will be writing for a magazine again.

Until then, wish me luck for what’s ahead!

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by Whitney Riggs

Writing out of my comfort zone. I don’t have kids or a house, but I’m learning to write like I do.

Since I decided to stick around for another month to finish up the internship, Rebecca (managing editor) gave me my next assignment for the September issue – a fall home section. The funny thing about the stories that I have been assigned is that I have had little or no relation to them at all.

For the first section, I wrote stories about children’s health. Well, if you haven’t already figured out, I do not have any kids, and I have little interaction with them considering I live in a college town. I love kids, but it threw me off when I had to know and understand the steps to breastfeeding and what to do when children don’t get along in a household. Obviously, I turned to the best sources for the information, but it would have been helpful if I had kids of my own to understand the basics before going into it.

Then the education section threw me off again. I did do one story that dealt with the college level, but otherwise, the stories dealt with ages much younger. In order to get the story right, I put myself in the position of a parent. What would be important to me? What I would want for my kids?

I also searched the internet to get a grasp on education K-12 today. For stories I have ‘no clue’ about, I’ve learned the best thing to do is to surf the internet for awhile. Lets ideas swarm around my brain and try to develop an understanding of the basic knowledge of a topic. It can’t hurt.

And now the fall home section for September. Growing up, I lived in the same house for 18 years and then came to college. I do live in a rented house now, but it’s a dumpy, old college house with three other girls. Redecorating is something that wouldn’t even cross our minds and buying a home will not come for a few more years. Let’s just say I know very little about owning a home. Cross your fingers and wish me luck as I dive into another section!

Don’t get me wrong, I figured the stories that I would be writing about would not revolve around my interests and would probably give me a good run for my money. Although the stories are a bit out of my league, they have really helped me get a grip on branching out and introducing myself to new ideas and topics. When I am done with a story, I think of the challenges I overcame and how much information I learned through the process.

How boring would it be to write about the same things that I already know everything about? Variety and change keeps the job interesting!

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by Whitney Riggs