Montclair High School seniors intern at The Montclair Dispatch for the Career Internship Program
Seniors at Montclair High School are given the opportunity to participate in the Career Internship Program; a four week internship in the field of their choice. In years past, the internships have ranged from directing and producing a musical, to furthering their love of photography, to even recording podcasts about rap music. This year, seniors Cristi Kennedy, Isabelle Siddons, Julianna Wittmann, and Samantha Wittmann, will be interning at the Montclair Dispatch, the local weekly newspaper for Montclair, which covers the happenings in and around the Montclair Area. They will be spotlighting their fellow classmate’s internships and their experiences as they take their first steps into the workforce.
With the hope of mimicking what working at a newspaper would truly be like, the four interns will be rotating four distinct positions: photographer, writer, editor, and publisher. Siddons notes that she is “excited but nervous” to challenge herself when she takes on the role of writer but knows her fellow interns will be there to help her through the process. As aspiring writers, these interns will produce a comprehensive article that includes an interview with the intern being spotlighted and possibly quotes from their mentors. Additionally, the writer will need to work with the publisher to coordinate times for interviews and photographs. Whichever intern is the photographer of that week, will be responsible for capturing a clear, high quality image of the intern at their place of work. Lastly, the editor will revise the articles, sending them back with comments and suggestions, and ultimately approving the published draft.
“I think I’ll learn a lot about the writing process” said Julianna Wittmann, “seeing my writing published every week will be a nice way to end senior year.”
All four Interns were members of the Civics and Government Institute at Montclair High School where they began to explore their writing and journalism skills by drafting bills, resolutions, and interviews with speakers. Throughout their high school careers, Samantha Wittmann and Izzy Siddons have been extremely active in sports, either managing or being the captain of their lacrosse and soccer teams. Both girls plan on continuing their passion for sports in college through club or intramural leagues. Cristi Kennedy and Juli Wittmann were members of the School of Visual and Performing Arts and members of student council during their four years. Kennedy, Siddons and the Wittmanns are all extremely excited to write about their former classmates and teammates and to see where their experiences will take them.
“Being able to learn about what my classmates are doing for their internships while learning how to better coordinate and communicate with others is intriguing” said Kennedy, “and having deadlines to meet will help us all with kicking bad procrastination habits.”
Samantha Wittmann will be attending Syracuse University, studying design in the School of Visual and Performing Arts. Both, Samantha Wittmann and Cristi Kennedy, who will be attending Claremont Mckenna College in the fall, are considering minoring in journalism. Julianna Wittmann is excited about attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and Isabelle Siddons is still deciding where she will be in the fall of 2017, but is excited about the skills this internship will teach her.
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