This past summer, Journalism Senior Alyssa Burr secured an internship opportunity at MLive Media Group, a local Michigan news outlet in Grand Rapids. With the assistance of Internship Coordinator Amy Haimerl, Burr worked as a Reporting Intern for The Grand Rapids Press, a division of Mile Media Group. Burr was excited to embark on this internship experience with the news group being located so close to home.
At MLive Media Group, Burr was treated as an equal facet of the team, undertaking several fulfilling stories. During the summer Burr wrote between 50 and 60 articles, all of which were published. From reporting on the Miss Michigan Beauty Pageant to attending the opening of the Sperry's Moviehouse theater, Burr travelled around the mitten and learned about the state’s unique culture.
In addition to reporting, MLive invested in Burr’s professional development and sponsored her to attend several conferences including the Intern Connect at 21 Monroe Live. Her key takeaway from this experience--to achieve success in Journalism individuals have to build connections within the communities they are working in.
As an East Lansing resident, Alyssa commuted an hour every day to and from work. She states that getting to work would not have been possible without the financial support she received from the ComArtSci Career Center. She is thankful for both the Career Center and ComArtSci.
"Departments like ComArtSci support students’ educational growth through scholarships,” said Burr.
She recommends that anyone looking for an internship opportunity start networking early on in their college career.
By Juan Mascorro-Guerrero