My summer at Community Journals as an editorial intern has been filled with new skills, new experiences, and growth both personally and professionally. Through this internship, I gained real-world experiences that have helped me become a well-rounded and passionate future journalist.
The entire Community Journals team welcomed me with open arms and all have had a part in making my first internship a learning and growing experience. Everyone in the office was always so kind and inviting. I could have not asked for a better group of people to spend my summer with and am sad to be leaving all of the great mentors I met.
I spent the first half of this summer with TOWN magazine. Blair Knobel and Abby Keith made it their goal to help me learn, adapt and grow throughout my time. I had the opportunity to write for both digital and print, help with a style photoshoot and assist in creating a magazine. I had never written for a magazine before, so it was very cool to learn a different side of journalism. It was so interesting and fun to participate in the process of producing an issue of TOWN Magazine.
During the second half of my summer, I worked with the Greenville Journal and Upstate Business Journal team. I met an incredible group of journalists and editors that pushed me out of my comfort zone to help me reach my goals. Managing editor Rick Spruill, vice president of content and digital Sherry Jackson, and digital manager John Olson all made sure I learned everything I could in the short time I was with them. Throughout these last five weeks, I pitched and wrote stories, learned about digital media, covered events and experienced what it is like to work in the fast-paced environment of a newspaper.
After my time at Community Journals, I feel prepared for a professional career. Aside from growing in my journalistic abilities, I have gained skills that I will be able to utilize in my everyday life and my future career. Skills such as working in an office, attending meetings with experienced professionals and interviewing community leaders will all be useful no matter where I end up in the future. I will never forget this summer at Community Journals.
-Aria Surka, University of Georgia, Summer 2021 Intern, Community Journals
