My first three semesters at Indiana University are complete, and my fourth is now in full swing. I'm excited to inch closer and closer to my expected graduation in May 2024.
This spring's credit load is my traditional 18 credit hours, with courses in accounting, public relations writing, constitutional law, and more. At the same time, I'm serving as a Managing Editor with the Indiana Daily Student, IU's independent, award-winning student newspaper. It's been a thrill and a joy.
As the pandemic moves toward our periphery, opportunities continue to open. Whether it be in-person classes, an open newsroom, or chances to travel, I am taking every single opportunity I see in front of me (I wrote of this principle in my 2021 Year in Review).
Since my 12th grade year of school, I have placed significant value on internships. My first internship with WFYI News Radio propelled me into my first semester at Indiana University. Working with the Government Accountability Office's public affairs division last summer engrained a love for policy and communications.
Today, I'm elated to announce my plans for Summer 2022.
This summer, I will join the Niskanen Center, one of our nation's leading think tanks, as a communications intern. Advocating for climate change policy, environmentalism, criminal justice reform, and a forward-thinking immigration policy, Niskanen is an organization that deeply aligns with my values. In a world chock-full with extensive political disagreements, think tanks play an important role in our society. They inform our legislature, drive the national discourse, and provide an outlet for scholarly, contemplative research.
I will be working with the Niskanen Center's communications team, focusing on a wide array of media, including earned media, shared media, and owned media. I am eminently grateful to Kristie Eshelman, the Niskanen Center's digital media director, for extending this offer and opportunity to me. I am thrilled about the position, and I cannot wait to get started.
Want to learn more about the Niskanen Center and the policies they support? Read more here.
My internship with the Niskanen Center will run remotely, which means I'll be splitting my time between my home in Indianapolis and my apartment in Bloomington, which immediately became a second home for me when I started at Indiana University. I absolutely love it here, so I hope to adequately balance my time between the two cities this summer. I will begin my internship in early June, and it will run through August.
The internship process is never easy, particularly for students interested in communications. Internships are competitive, and the process is long. But I have the best group of friends — and the most amazing family — who supported me through every single resume, cover letter, or work sample. There are too many of them to name, but you know who you are: thank you, and I love you.