When you think of an internship, it’s usually associated  with no pay, long hours, and coffee runs.

But the experience I gained is one that I will cherish.

Over the summer, I received the opportunity to intern at Fox 61 in Hartford. At first I was shocked because out of so many applicants I was chosen to be apart of the team.

Walking into an unfamiliar place was new for me. Meeting new people, and getting adjusted to a real news room was something that I had to mentally process. In the beginning I felt like this internship was going to be about getting coffee and not really experiencing what a day-to-day news room would be like.

My first day proved me wrong. One of my very first tasks was to write an article for the station’s website. From that day on, I was gaining experience until the end of the internship. From producing content for the web, to learning the ins and outs of producing a news show to getting to create my own feature package.

One of the best days at my internship was the day I got the opportunity to go out in the field and do a feature story. I was nervous, excited, anxious and more scared than ever. I did a feature story on a restaurant in Southington named Smokin’ With Chris.

The biggest thing I took away from that one experience throughout the whole summer is to have fun with what you do. It was my first time as a real reporter in the field, my third time really going out using a camera on my own and capturing my own footage.  The hardest challenge I faced while creating my story was capturing the right angle and how I want to tell this story.

I learned how to differentiate what is newsworthy and what is not and  that being a Journalist is a passion for me.

Producing newsworthy content and informing the community about everyday things and issues around the world gave me a sense of importance in such a big field.