When Leigh Waldman submitted her application last fall for an internship with CNN Atlanta for the Spring 2016 semester, she said she never thought she would be chosen. But she was.

As a junior journalism major from Keller, Texas, Waldman said she chose the CNN Bureau in Atlanta after she came across the internship on one of the daily “info to know” emails from the College of Media & Communication’s Center for Success, Outreach & Engagement.

“I looked on the website, and there were tons of internships available,” Waldman said. “I knew the Atlanta area well because I lived there for two years. I decided to apply. I didn’t think I was going to get it, but they offered me a video interview, and then the manager called and offered me the job.”

Waldman said she had the opportunity to take a semester off for the internship, which began in January and was extended until August. She said interning with CNN has given her a wealth of experience as the bureau covers all news in the southeastern region of the United States.

“If any news breaks, from Texas to Virginia, we cover it,” Waldman said. “I have gotten to do a lot, and I have been very fortunate. I get sent out with reporters and producers and video journalists all the time to go and cover stories. Every day is different.”

Waldman said one of the most memorable moments of her internship was meeting Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and riding on her press bus when she visited Atlanta.

Waldman said she was also working when a series of terrorist attacks occurred in Brussels on March 22. Her assignments included a trip to a company in Alabama two days later, where she learned how to make bombs such as the ones used in the attack. She described this as an eye-opening experience.

“I was at CNN the day of the Brussels attacks, which was a very humbling experience,” Waldman said. “CNN is the leader in news, so we have the most coverage in the United States and around the world, and getting to see everything stop for a second when the attack happened was really humbling.”

Waldman said that when it came to college, Texas Tech was her first and only choice.

“Texas Tech was the only university I applied to,” Waldman said. “I always wanted to be a Red Raider. I had always heard good things about the university, and when I went on a visit to the campus, I fell in love with it.”

Lea Hellmueller, former assistant professor of journalism, described Waldman as a very engaged and creative student.

“I have gotten to do a lot, and I have been very fortunate. I get sent out with reporters and producers and video journalists all the time to go and cover stories.
Every day is different.”
-Leigh Waldman

“Leigh had great and creative story ideas for our video project and was definitely a go-getter,” Hellmueller said. “It did not surprise me that Leigh was accepted for an internship with CNN. That was always her dream, and she is definitely going to make a difference in whatever she does.”

While she initially wanted to pursue a career in sports reporting, Waldman said her time with CNN has inspired her to look into a career as a general assignments reporter. She said she was inspired to become a journalist by a long-time CoMC instructor, the late Robert Wernsman.

“I came into college not knowing what I wanted to do, and then I took Professor Wernsman’s Principles of Journalism class. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a journalist,” Waldman said. “He really showed me what it means to be a journalist and the kind of impact you can have.”

Rob Peaslee, chair of the Department of Journalism & Electronic Media, described internships as an essential part of any student’s entry into media industries because of the real-world experience they provide.

“That intrepid students like Leigh are aiming high for outlets like CNN and branching out to major media markets around the country is a great indicator of the confidence our amazing journalism faculty are instilling in their students,” Peaslee said. “This confidence is only enlarged by the many opportunities they have to publish and broadcast content in professional circles before they even apply for internships, something on which we have been explicitly focused for several years now.”

Waldman said she would recommend that current students pursue internships with both local and national media outlets because both offer unique opportunities that turn into networking opportunities.

“Take the chance. Apply for an internship, even if you don’t think you’re qualified, and you never know,” Waldman said. “They could call you and want to hire you, and then you have those amazing connections with people who are where you want to be.”

(Rachel Blevins is a junior journalism major from Mineral Wells, Texas.)