Not all juniors in high school can say that they got an opportunity to write for a local newspaper for five weeks and produce two front page stories; I am fortunate enough to say I have. My name is Gillian Weinstein and I have lived in Ocean Beach my whole life. I attend High Tech High in Liberty Station, and as part of our curriculum, we complete a month-long internship at the end of our junior year to get experience in a professional field of our interest. I have always had a fascination for journalism and knew some people who interned at San Diego Community Newspaper Group in previous years, which prompted me to reach out, asking if I could intern there. I never would have thought I would get the chance to write important stories for my local paper, the Peninsula Beacon, as well as the Beach & Bay Press and La Jolla Village News. The feeling I got when I saw my first published article in the paper is indescribable. This internship was one of the most beneficial learning experiences I have had thus far in my young life. Everyone I spoke with throughout my time here had something notable to share. Every response in the interviews that I conducted was passionate: business owners with a passion for their products, beach clean-up organizers with a passion for ocean conservation, dog trainers with a passion for saving rescue dogs. Each day was something new. My favorite aspect of the job was attending interesting and fun events such as the watermelon drop at UC San Diego, Kids’ Ocean Day beach clean-up, and the West Mission Bay Drive bridge press conference. However, as a somewhat shy, 17 year old girl, I didn’t attend these events alone. On my first day, I was introduced to another intern who had just graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University, Andrew Eakes. Andrew studied journalism and worked for his school newspaper, writing hard-hitting stories and local event stories. My new ability to talk to random strangers on the streets was learned from him. He taught me the best questions to ask people, the best pieces of information to include in your story, and the best ways to tell your story, especially with originality. Our mermaid story was one of my favorite pieces of writing from this internship because we got to let our creative side flow. Everyone in the office has a unique specialty, many with characteristics I soon hope to acquire myself. As I move into my senior year, I believe I am still finding my unique specialty, but this eye-opening opportunity surely has given me an idea about what is possible. San Diego Community Newspaper Group thanks Gillian for her hard work and professionalism. She did a great job. Good luck in the classroom and on the softball diamond.
