Christina Lacoste, a senior at Emmanuel College expressed how important her senior internship class was in helping her nail her current internship with The Weekly Dig.
“My internship professor helped me with my resume, he had really helpful suggestions and I am grateful to him for that.”
Lacoste made a huge point in saying that it was initiative that got her the position at The Weekly Dig. People can’t just rely on people in life to do things for them. If you want something you have to go after it. This is one major lesson that students must learn at college. Nothing is going to be handed to you on a silver platter. Lacoste could have taken a internship at a major alternative news weekly in Boston this year, but she was not about to become someone’s “coffee bitch.” Instead, she chose an internship at The Weekly Dig.
“I sent them writing samples, a resume, a cover letter, and my class schedule, apparently that worked out well because they contacted me pretty soon afterwards.”
The importance of making the right internship choice is vital. Lacoste stated that she applied to other places but she wanted to make sure that she would have artistic freedom as well as learn while on the job.
No one wants to be someone’s slave to irrelevant tasks, even though a lot of internships do have tasks that seem to be a little back breaking, a positive learning experience should also be present. In order to not let herself slip down the slippery slope of getting caught up in backbreaking work and leaving behind artistic freedom, The Weekly Dig was the obvious choice for Lacoste.
“I asked The Phoenix about writing articles for them and they said something like, well if you have an idea, we can pair you up with a writer, meaning I wouldn’t be writing squat.”
Her experience got her on the main page of The Weekly Dig’s Art and Entertainment section with a new feature about the new Aphrodite and the Gods of Love exhibit at the MFA in which Lacoste seemed to be excited about. Lacoste also said that this experience has taught her many different aspects of journalism.
“I’ve also learned how to create blog posts, write transcripts, fact check, and interview, the people at The Dig are always willing to help but at the same time they give me enough space to learn on my own..”
Lacoste also talked about how her writing classes have helped her create her own artistic style of writing. Whether it is her PR class with Ernie Corrigan, her Creative Writing classes with Dr. Mary Beth Pope, or her Journalism classes with Mark Baard, all have helped her with opening her eyes to journalistic style and editing.
Lacoste is not sure what‘s next. Like most seniors I’m sure she is just trying to get through this last year before stepping out into the scary real world. This internship however will possibly open doors into some options and act as a safety blanket while taking those first couple of steps after graduation.
“I’m not really sure what I’ll be doing after The Dig, but my experience in journalism will definitely open up some doors for me, I am hoping to travel and write, that would be ideal.”
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