Student Spotlight | Sabrina Rodriguez

I believe there are many things an internship can teach you that the classroom can’t, but the main thing I learned was applicability. Studying English, I learned the skills that went into strong writing, but there was no way to practically apply those skills in the classroom. During my time at Sinking City, I got to critically analyze over 50 pieces of writing with guidance from editors that helped me decipher what qualifies as a solid submission for a professional publication. I also got to actively practice skills such as graphic design while receiving real time feedback and how to run an organization’s social media account. This opportunity gifted me invaluable experience that has helped better prepare me for my future.

I found that doing an internship before graduating college was extremely beneficial as it helps provide clarity on your potential career path and provides priceless opportunities and connections. Taking the time to explore your industry of interest helps you to better understand it beyond the abstract as you get to actually work within it and see if it is something you want to actually pursue. It can also provide you a network of people who are invested in seeing you professionally flourish and will assist with connecting you to programs or positions that’ll help you establish yourself in the industry.

The piece of advice I would say is most important for students unsure about doing an internship would be that, if it’s possible and you are given the opportunity, to do it anyway. I think everyone could find a reason to not pursue an internship, whether it be due to schedule constraints or personal fears. It sounds silly, but I was worried that I wasn’t going to be good enough or that it would take up too much time and I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I decided to take a risk and accepted it before I could think my way out of it, and I never regretted that choice. I gained confidence in my own capabilities and learned how to quickly adjust to having active expectations of me from something outside of school, all of which would not have been possible without an internship.

My internship did provide me with a network of people in my industry that have helped support me in amazing ways. I was lucky to have such an incredible boss who took the time to mentor me. They taught me where to submit future pieces of mine, how to pick a publication that’s the right fit for me, and how to get a piece ready for submission. Through my mentorship, I was also informed of writing workshops/fellowships to apply to and learned about a publishing program at NYU which I applied to with their support, and got in! This experience has given me a support system that has already helped me in so many ways already and will continue to as I further myself into my career.

Partaking in an internship was very valuable to my overall education as it helped reinforce the skills I learned in the classroom through practical application. This allowed me to strengthen my knowledge surrounding the editorial process as well as learn new skills related to managing a literary magazine which I could have never learned solely through class. Having such an opportunity also strengthened my resolve that this was the career path I wanted to follow and helped build up my confidence that I could meaningfully contribute in a professional setting.