JMC senior Kelli Fitzpatrick is heading to New York City this summer to spend 10 weeks working at Reader’s Digest as part of the prestigious American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) internship program.
For nearly 50 years, ASME has sponsored the Magazine Internship Program, a 10-week program for rising college juniors at magazines in New York and Washington. Only 10 percent of the college students who apply are selected for ASME internships. Last year, senior magazine journalism major Emily Inverso went to Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine in Washington. Fitzpatrick, a magazine journalism major, recognizes the significance of this opportunity. “The ASME internship means the world to me--I never thought I'd actually land such a prestigious internship! After studying abroad in Florence this semester, I've realized just how big my dreams are. I'm very excited to be able to reach high with this internship,” Fitzpatrick said. “This summer's internship at a magazine will help me decide if a magazine career is truly a good fit for me. The ASME internship will place me at a top magazine and connect me with influential people and all the tools to learn about the magazine world and how to build a career in it, if I so choose. I will get to experience how a national magazine is published and polished--and it's a paid internship, too!”
Fitzpatrick credits JMC for helping her achieve this internship. “I don't think I would have received this internship without my amazing experiences at JMC. My classes--specifically Print Beat Reporting and Feature Writing--as well as my student media involvement with the Stater and Fusion, have beefed up my journalism experience and honed my writing, editing and reporting kills. Jacquie Marino and Rick Senften were two professors who really helped and mentored me this past year. I've learned a lot from them, their classes and their experiences I'm grateful for them.”
"Kelli is the kind of intern every magazine should want," Marino says. "She's smart, dedicated and talented. She loves constructive criticism and won't stop reporting a story or revising a draft until it's excellent." Fitzpatrick is the second JMC major in recent years to be chosen for the program.
In addition to her involvement with The Daily Kent Stater and Fusion, Fitzpatrick has distinguished herself academically as a member of the President’s List for five semesters, recipient of the Risman Honors Scholarship, Board of Trustees Scholarship and JMC scholarships. She is a member of Kappa Tau Alpha, the national college honor society that promotes academic excellence in journalism and mass communication. Fitzpatrick is also involved in a wide range of experiences beyond the classroom, including serving as the student liaison for CCI’s Florence Program this semester and a blogger for the Florence-based student website, FloNTheGo.com.
Fitzpatrick is one of more than 35 students to be honored at the JMC Student Award Ceremony on April 30.
About ASME
ASME is the principal organization for magazine journalists in the United States. The 600 members of ASME include the editorial leaders of most major consumer and business magazines published in print and online. Founded in 1963, ASME works to defend the First Amendment, protect editorial independence and support the development of journalism. ASME sponsors the National Magazine Awards in association with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, the annual Best Cover Contest and the Magazine Internship Program.