During my senior year, I had the most amazing opportunity to take on an eight week volunteer internship from May through June. I served as a Sports Intern at WTNH News 8, working closely with Erik Dobratz and John Pierson, with additional collaboration weekly with Kiara Smith. My time there immersed me in almost every part of sports journalism: from researching stats and game history, to helping write scripts, fact‑checking, and preparing content for both broadcast and digital platforms. Each day brought something new, whether gathering footage at a high school game, sitting at the station till 11PM waiting for the Mets to finish their extra-innings game, or coordinating with the Erik & John to make sure everything was ready for air.

One of the most rewarding parts of the internship was going behind the scenes with Erik Dobratz and John Pierson during live sports segments. I learned how they decide which details to highlight, how visuals are selected, and how to adjust a story last minute when new developments are coming in, all under real-time pressure. Working with Kiara Smith once a week gave me a chance to experience a different side of the newsroom. It pushed me to think more critically and to understand storytelling beyond just stats and final scores. Whether it was helping plan feature segments or discussing story angles, I gained a deeper appreciation for how narratives are shaped in sports journalism. I also contributed to social media content, selecting highlights and drafting captions that complemented what viewers saw on air. It taught me how traditional broadcast and digital platforms work together to expand reach and audience engagement.

Beyond the technical skills, video editing, writing, researching, this internship taught me about teamwork, flexibility, and the pace of sports journalism. I saw how reports change based on what happens in a game, how tight deadlines force decision‑making, and how collaboration among reporters, producers, camera crews, and digital staff all come together to make a final product. The experience strengthened my confidence in pursuing sports journalism, and showed me how much impact even small contributions—like a key stat, a good caption, or a well‑timed interview clip—can have on the final story.