by NJC spring 2010 intern Christopher Guzman
Upon receiving the letter of acceptance into the National Journalism Center , I was both excited and humbled to know that I would be
spending the next few months in the heart of Washington, D.C. I’ve been interested
in news and government since elementary school, so it was a dream come true
that I would be living in the city where I can passionately feed off its energy.
Leading up to the internship, I looked forward to immersing myself in next big story
or getting the opportunity of interacting with a big-time congressman at a bloggers
briefing. These converging factors—my
ambition, goals, and interests—are
what make life the District something that never grows old.
Being placed at Human
Events , the nation’s leading conservative publication, was also a blessing.
Surrounded by veteran journalists in the newsroom, I gleaned an enormous amount
of wisdom from those that have been in the industry longer than I have been
alive. At one point, I was out with Human Events reporters chatting it up about
government and policy for a good while with the campaign team of Massachusetts
Senator Scott Brown!
Sitting among these editors and reports and being flooded with
their vast political knowledge drove me to intensely pursue the love of
learning, making me realize that there is still much to see about the world on
my part. This love of learning, cultivated deep in me, has me interning part-time
in my newsroom until I find something more permanent in town.
The internship with Human Events is only one treat of the
National Journalism Center. There are also the training seminars that meet
weekly. During these seminars is where I have been able to reap the fruit of
experience from Dr. Stephen Bird , the program’s academic director. His advice
and encouragements have enriched my time here, preparing me for what lies ahead
in the professional world. Additionally, I have thoroughly enjoyed the program’s
speakers, becoming more thoroughly aware of the complex issues posed by current
public policy.
