Guest: Newspapers provide valuable experience

Hello everyone! I'm definitely a new face around here, but for the past nine weeks, I have had the opportunity to intern at the Foster County Independent and the New Rockford Transcript. This summer internship has been amazing, and I have learned so many valuable skills.

I am a 2022 graduate of Carrington High School, and I just completed my freshman year of college at Brigham Young University (BYU) located in Provo, Utah. My plans in the future vary a little bit from the status quo. Eventually, I hope to obtain a degree in Graphic Design and a minor in Entrepreneurship. However, starting August 14, I will be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will be serving and teaching people about the gospel of Jesus Christ for 18 months. If you want to learn more about it, feel free to email me at isabella.garr@missionary.org!

Before I started my mission, I knew I wanted to work this summer; although, I was not sure what I wanted to do. Initially, I thought about getting a couple different part-time jobs, trying to stay busy before leaving in August again. An opportunity presented itself when my mom shared an ad for a summer intern at the newspaper with me, something I had never heard of or considered before. I applied and later that week I had an interview. The following week, I was working at a newspaper!

What intrigued me about the internship was its mention of graphic design. Previously, I never thought working at a newspaper would have any graphic design related things, but I was wrong. Ads, layout of the newspaper, programs, signs, and raffle tickets are just a handful of the projects I learned how to design while working at the newspaper. Not to mention, I had wonderful mentorship from those working at both the Independent and the Transcript. From them, I have learned what makes a good ad and how to convey the message you want to get across.

I also loved learning about the technical aspects that are a part of the publishing/newspaper industry. Programs need to be printed and designed in a certain way, some projects are assembled by hand, raffle tickets need to be perforated and put into books, posters need folding, etc. These aspects are not usually thought about in terms of the newspaper. I know I never considered them before. I can now add operating a perforator and a huge paper cutter to my list of skills!

I am currently pursuing a degree in graphic design, and I knew this internship would give me valuable skills for my future. I gained more experience with Adobe Photoshop, as well as learning InDesign and Illustrator. I am grateful for the opportunity to use them frequently, learning something new every single day. While there is still so much to learn about all of these programs, it has been very beneficial to learn not only from Amy, but others working at both the Independent and Transcript. My first week was a little stressful, being in a completely new environment, but my coworkers were very willing to help me.

I have been able to have many new experiences while working at the newspaper. For example, I was able to photograph graduation. I loved being able to document such an important event in people's lives. I was also able to design the page that showcased photos from the graduation ceremony. I learned so much more about photography for the newspaper. Lori has shown me exactly how photos need to be edited, as they show up darker in news print.

I even had the opportunity to interview a couple biking through Carrington and write a story about them (found in last week's paper). It was a little nerve wracking finding out that I would be the one interviewing them, but I had a positive experience. It started to feel like more of a conversation than an interview, and I loved learning about their journey. Talking to new people is a skill that is super valuable, both in business and in general, and one that I have been striving to develop.

In addition to graphic design, I am also interested in entrepreneurship (my minor in college) and business. While these skills may not be explicitly taught, I observed many qualities a business owner should have from Amy.

One of the major things about business I learned is it does not matter how much you plan, life will throw curve balls at you. What matters is how you deal with it. Through my short time working at the Independent and Transcript, there have been some setbacks that were not expected, but part of being a business owner is learning how to deal with them as Amy demonstrated to me countless times. I plan to own a company/business in the future that could be related to graphic design or something else entirely. Being able to learn from Amy has been invaluable. She is definitely a mentor I can look to in the future. I have interviewed entrepreneurs/business owners in the past but working for one allows you to learn in ways that interviewing cannot provide.

My coworkers have given me valuable meaning beyond graphic design. They have shown me what it means to work in an environment where everyone lifts each other up and wants them to succeed. There is so much teamwork that goes into making a newspaper as the deadline is always the same, no matter what challenges come up. I have loved getting to know each of them and having different conversations with them. There have been many moments of laughter and learning that I am grateful for.

There is so much about the publishing/newspaper industry that I was not previously aware of. Thinking outside the box in this industry is encouraged and even needed. There are always ways to improve efficiency and streamline processes. There are so many different avenues that graphic design can be applied to, many of which I am still learning. There are many skills I have learned from working here that I will take with me in the future. I am grateful I had the opportunity to see many different aspects of the publishing/newspaper industry. I am excited for what the future has in store for me and grateful I had an opportunity like this in my hometown.