Summary of the Project:
My internship with Teen Diaries/Pretty Girls Sweat included creating content, editing and pitching stories for their website and respective social media platforms. The opportunity allowed me to interact with other young females of color who are also aspiring journalists in today’s forever-changing media world. The publication itself functions as a nonprofit platform and space for informing and engaging young girls from the ages of 16-26+ about health and wellness. While the internship was primarily virtual, connecting with the editorial team through Skype and Google conference calls allowed me to share short and long term goals for the internship, brainstorm ideas, and collaborate with the other females. My weekly responsibilities included strategizing the best ways to communicate content I cared about to the public. The internship gave me the freedom and space to come up with these ideas in creative ways. Tasks challenged me to pull from previous work experience in similar lines of work such as photography, photo editing, video editing, and editorial writing. Lastly, the role required me to challenge everyday forms of writing and formulate new and exciting ways of publishing media.
Reflection:
My internship with the publication gave me the opportunity to clearly understand the path I want to travel after graduation. This will include writing and curating meaningful content for individuals who need it the most on easily accessible platforms. I think the most successful aspect of the internship was forging connections with the other interns. While the internship primary lived online, I got to meet the others in person on several occasions through the meet-ups. This also allowed me other females of color interested in a field of work historically dominated by white institutions. The internship also allowed me to explore the work other interns blogged for the site which in turn, aided my writing. I participated in monthly health and wellness challenges curated by other interns which helped me feel mentally and physically strong. Through video editing and editorial editing, I feel my journalistic work has strengthened. One of the other most important highlights of the internship is that I got the chance to write from first-person while sharing my experiences with the hope that others will find value in them. This space allowed me to speak about my personal ties to health and fitness in a way I’ve never been able to before. The program aided me in exploring the kinds of content I enjoy reading and writing. Additionally, I learned how to turn helpful criticism into stronger work. The work also aligns with my major, as I am now able to utilize the skills I’ve learned in the classroom and apply them to real-world experiences.
Below are a few pieces I’ve written during the internship (as drafts):
2. Why I am not Afraid to Train my Upper Body
3. The-10-Life-Changing Things I Did To Become a Better Person
My byline/bio on the site:
These were some of the stories I got to work on for the site: