“For Egan, the internship surpassed her expectations.”
This line appeared in a St. Bonaventure University press release about my summer internship abroad, in response to my glowing review of the experience. Not only did I get to work in a real newsroom, it also happened to be in Italy.
One of the aspects of the Jandoli School of Communication that attracted me to its journalism program was the 400-hour internship requirement. This requirement seems daunting when entering the program as a freshman. However, it soon becomes apparent that the Jandoli School making sure its students graduate with 400 hours of experience under their belts demonstrates how deeply the professors care about the success of their students.
Even before coming to college, I was always oddly excited about the concept of an internship. I romanticized the notion of running around a newsroom grabbing coffee for people and taking orders in exchange for a foot in the door of the world of journalism I was so entranced with entering.
The 400-hour requirement pushed me to make time in my schedule to seek out internship opportunities early in my college career.
At the beginning of my sophomore year, I was considering joining the Sorrento Italy Study Abroad program. I had always dreamed of traveling to Italy. When I learned I could apply for an internship instead of taking classes, the decision was made. While the Institute the program is run through offered a variety of communications internships, one stood out to me: Positano News.
The chosen interns would work in the Positano News office, writing articles about tourism and local businesses for English-speaking tourists. Positano News was considered one of the harder internships to be accepted to, so being a first semester sophomore when I applied, I didn’t get my hopes up. When I found out I got it, to say I was ecstatic would be an understatement.
The first day was one of the most overwhelming but incredible experiences of my life. We met the director of the paper, Michele Cinque, who would be our supervisor. As soon as we arrived at the office he took us to get an espresso. This turned into a four-hour marathon tour of the town where the office is located.
“A good journalist wears out their shoes,” Cinque kept saying as he made worried glances at the heels I learned to never again wear to work.
In just four hours we met countless business owners and community members and were walked through the rich history of the town. We were given a crash course in local journalism with the main lesson being, know the community you are writing about. It was a lesson we never could have gotten as authentically in the classroom.
During the five-week internship, I was able to publish 12 articles between the ones I wrote myself and co-wrote with Marnique Olivieri-Panepento, another Jandoli student and Positano News intern.
Going into my freshman year, I always pictured my internship experience with me doing grunt work and hoping to get even one article published. Exploring Italian coastal towns and publishing articles that could help thousands of tourists visiting southern Italy was not anywhere near what I expected.
When it came time to leave Italy, I expected to be sad. I had been looking forward to this experience for so long and not only was it over but I had no idea if I would ever be able to return to Italy. However, as I impatiently sat through the 10-hour plane ride, I realized the sadness I thought I would be feeling was replaced by excitement to be going home with all I had gained over the five weeks. Not only did my interviewing and writing skills improve, but the appreciation my Italian co-workers gave me not only for the work I did for them but for the journalism industry in general filled me with a renewed sense of confidence and enthusiasm for the career I plan to enter into.
I am incredibly grateful to the wonderful Jandoli School professors such Dr. Tara Walker, Dr. Denny Wilkins and Dr. Rich and Anne Lee who helped me develop all the skills I needed to thrive at Positano News and hopefully after graduation.
Articles written for Positano News include: