Ksenia Gorinshteyn

Interview by Elizabeth Brunette

With which organization did you intern?

The Minnesota Daily

How did you find out about the internship?

I was looking for journalism opportunities for the school year and the Minnesota Daily was hiring when I started looking!

What were your responsibilities?

I was an A&E intern reporter so I had to write an article per week. Within that, I was responsible for pitching my own stories, conducting interviews, keeping in contact with sources and making edits, all on a deadline. At first, it all seemed a little intimidating but I quickly began to enjoy it!

What did you most enjoy?

I really liked being able to meet so many different people and getting to know the Twin Cities area better. I know that I would not have gone to as many events or met as many people if I didn't have to actively look for stories to write. It made me genuinely curious about the people and things going on around me. I'm not from Minnesota and I spent most of my freshman year on campus so this internship was a really great way for me to branch out a little more. It made the Twin Cities feel more like a community rather than just where I go to school.

What is something that you learned from your internship experience?

I learned to keep pushing myself to get out there and create. Some weeks would be particularly tough because of school and work, and sometimes I wouldn't want to write anything because I was so stressed. In the long run, though, I found that writing something each week was incredibly rewarding. I've never had an internship like this before and it allowed me to challenge my creative limits and really start to develop my voice.

How will your internship help you in your future studies/career?

My internship was my first real newsroom experience and that's something that I will always remember. Ideally, after I graduate, I would love to work in a newsroom and so having had this internship at the Minnesota Daily, I'll be better prepared for what's to come.

What's one piece of advice you would give other students about securing an exciting internship?

Be curious and genuine. If you're applying to an organization that doesn't really align with your values or you pitch a story that you aren't completely interested in, then it will show in your work. It's so important to work on something that you believe in and it will make your experience so much more memorable. Also, make sure to ask a lot of questions! Do your research! If you're excited about something, the organization you're applying to will notice and they'll be just as excited to have you on their team.