Sam Armstrong
I was the summer communications intern in the Communications and Development office at Overbrook School for the Blind. My focus was planning and creating accessible content for their social media pages to increase outreach. I also photographed large events, contributed to their upcoming annual report, helped with donor relations, and more. You can see some work I completed on their social media pages, and more posts I’ve created will be coming out throughout the year!
Their Work:
Overbrook School for the Blind’s Instagram account
Overbrook School for the Blind’s Facebook Account
Caleb Kaufman
This summer, I had the opportunity to be the photojournalism intern for Pittsburgh’s Public Source. Over the course of my internship, I took photos for a wide variety of stories, from presidential rallies to local school closures. I also pitched, photographed and wrote my own stories on upcoming transportation cuts and the impact federal action has had on transgender healthcare in Pittsburgh.
Their Work:
‘There’s a specific target on my head’: Transgender teen grapples with UPMC care cuts
Transit riders contemplate commuting challenges, reduced mobility as PRT prepares for cuts
Alefiya Presswala
I worked as a reporting intern for the Rochester Beacon, an independent newsroom reporting on the Greater Rochester NY area. I pitched story ideas, conducted research and interviews, wrote and edited daily news stories and attended editorial meetings. It was a great experience to see the behind-the-scenes of how community journalism functions, and get to know a new area.
Their Work:
Proposed solar array in Penfield faces resistance
STAMP project faces new legal challenge
Pharmacy coalition responds to Rite Aid closures
Kaeleigh Banda
This summer, I worked as an intern for Waging Nonviolence, a nonprofit media organization. I got to experience every area of their newsroom process from writing to editing, but I primarily focused on creating social media posts, updating the newsletter and proofreading stories before publication. I also gained a stronger understanding of movement journalism and was deeply inspired by stories of hope, resilience and resistance. At the end of the internship, I was offered to stay on as a paid proofreader, which I am so grateful for! I am glad I got to work with Bryan and Eric and be part of such meaningful work.
Their Work:
Waging Nonviolence’s Instagram post
Eve McDougall
I interned with the Trifest International Youth Film Festival, put on by the non-profit Triplex Theater in Great Barrington, MA. This summer I was helping out during their inaugural run. My primary responsibilities included heading and organizing our outreach missions. I also had the opportunity to sit in on board meetings, which gave me insight into every step of the planning and ranking process. I was able to see first-hand the passion and drive that is necessary to work in not-for-profit spaces.
Logan Grosse
For this internship, I looked at Convergence’s user data and analytics to see what articles did well and tried to devise a social media strategy based on that to increase our presence and reach. I helped to cultivate a social media post style in order to spread our articles’ messages in a more user-friendly format. While my time was too short to see the full ramifications of this style’s development, the early results have been encouraging and will hopefully provide a framework for the publisher’s growth in the near future.
Their Work:
Instagram post on coalition building
Sofiia Mukhina
This summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Truthout through the Park Center for Independent Media’s internship program, an experience I’m deeply grateful for. I contributed to database research, excerpt preparation and editorial editing across Truthout’s coverage of state power and human rights. I also wrote an original piece on civil courage and the social costs of resisting authoritarianism, examining how dissent is punished and why people choose to stand up anyway. As a journalism and psychology student from Ukraine, I value the chance to learn from a newsroom committed to justice, accountability and human-centered reporting.
Their Work:
Russia’s Invasion Has Hollowed Out Higher Education in Ukraine