Knight Foundation’s summer internship program is currently accepting applications.  The foundation offers competitive internships in a variety of program areas that work to promote informed and engaged communities.

Below, Romina Herrera, who interned at Knight in the summer of 2013, shares highlights of her experience and offers advice to those seeking an internship at the foundation.

You graduated with a digital media major in December 2013 from Florida International University. What are you doing now?

R.H.: I’m working at an agency in Miami called Cause Populi. We offer marketing, branding and social media support to a variety of nonprofits. I’m the project manager, so I delegate what needs to be done for different clients and help get campaigns off and running. We work with different types of organizations, from adoption agencies to disability community centers and more. I originally freelanced for the company doing design work and was recently hired full time.

How did you first hear about Knight Foundation’s internship program? Related Link

“Knight internship unveils a network of opportunity” by Elizabeth R. Miller on KnightBlog.org

R.H. Through the internship counselor at Florida International University where I was a student. She was familiar with my portfolio and thought that I would be a great fit for the program.

What did you study in school? Was it useful for your experience at Knight?

R.H. I received my associate’s degree in graphic design from Miami Dade College. When I transferred to FIU, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do; I had interests in a lot of things, like education, arts and advertising. Then I found out its School of Journalism and Mass Communication had created a digital media major and it was a perfect combination of all my interests. It was sort of an experimental program, but I got to learn as I went and I really enjoyed that. My background in graphic design and that notion of experimentation were important for my work at Knight on “Searchlights and Sunglasses.”

What was your experience like working on the digital e-book “Searchlights and Sunglasses?”

R.H.: When I arrived at Knight, Eric Newton, the book’s author, already had the written materials ready and had started a prototype of the website with a designer. When it got to the production stage, I helped to test the site as a beta user and added in missing content and links. I also worked directly with the designers and Knight Creative Director Eric Schoenborn to figure out what sorts of updates we could incorporate into the book. When the site was finished, I attended the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference in Washington, D.C., to demo it and get feedback from people about what they found most useful with the resource.

What did you learn working with Eric Newton?

R.H.: I was very lucky to have him as a mentor because he took the time to sit with me and talk to me about media and journalism — not only about Knight Foundation’s history, but also about the field in general. He knows so much because of his past experiences and learning from him was invaluable. He was also very open-minded; he embraces everything digital and is just so excited about the new tools and technology. Another thing I appreciated was that he was always willing to listen to anybody’s feedback.  

What was your favorite part of “Searchlights and Sunglasses”?

R.H. There are so many resources embedded in it! I really wish I had known about them all back when I was a student. If I would have been exposed to them earlier, they could have helped me with some of my digital projects. Overall, I love that the book is pretty much an encyclopedia of everything you need to be a digital journalist these days.

What advice would you give incoming interns?

R.H.: I didn’t get the Knight internship out of luck. I had a strong academic record behind me and was building up my resume in anticipation of an opportunity like this one. So when our school career counselor came to me with the opportunity, that definitely helped. I think the lesson was play your cards right the entire time you’re in school. Whenever you’re working on a project, do it with the mindset that this is going to be part of your portfolio; someone may ask to see it as an example of your work. It could help you get a good internship which might lead to other opportunities.

Any last words?

R.H. I had a great time as an intern. I had a bit of a unique experience because I am from Kendall so I know the city of Miami really well. I showed the other interns some of the fun things to do in the city and I got to know them really well. It was fun to work with them and hear about their own projects. Whenever one of us would get stuck on something, we’d always exchange ideas. We were all learning at the same time.

By Elizabeth R. Miller, communications associate at Knight Foundation

To apply to Knight Foundation’s internship program please send a cover letter and resume to: [email protected].