University of Maryland Has Three AWSM Interns
The Association for Women in Sports Media has been offering sports media internships to college students for 26 years. In the past, two students from the University of Maryland AWSM chapter were awarded internships: one in 2010 and one in 2005. This year alone, three of the eight total internship winners were Terps.
Past internship winners have gone on to successful careers in the industry: Chelsea Janes, now the Washington Nationals beat writer for The Washington Post, interned for MLB.com as a Yale student in 2012. Jamie Erdahl, a sideline reporter for CBS Sports, interned for ESPN in 2011 as a student at American University. Rachel Nichols, a sports anchor for CNN, interned for The Washington Post in 1994 as a Northwestern University student.
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Meet the three University of Maryland students who will be interning at some of the country’s top sports news organizations:
Hannah Burton: CNN Sports
Burton is a junior broadcast journalism major. She is a multimedia reporter for The Diamondback as well as a writer for the Maryland chapter of HerCampus. She interned with ESPN West Palm radio, where she was able to learn about television production through the local TV station as well as sports radio. She will join USA Today’s audio team in the spring before working in production at CNN Sports over the summer.
What are you most excited about doing during your internship?
I am most excited to learn about all of the different aspects that go into making a live CNN broadcast. I am also excited to meet some of the amazing journalists that work for CNN.
What are you hoping to get out of the internship?
I am hoping to learn as much as I can about the journalism industry by being thrust into real world situations and soaking up as much information as I can. I also hope to leave the internship with CNN with a boost in confidence in my skills and a whole new network of connections and mentors.
How do you think being a Merrill College student prepared you for this internship?
Taking broadcast classes has been extremely helpful in preparing me for this internship. I have learned the basics of shooting and editing video, which will help me further my knowledge at my internship in the production field. Merrill has also given me the confidence to introduce myself and network with some of the greats in this industry.
Callie Caplan: USA Today Sports
Caplan is a junior journalism major. She has covered gymnastics, women’s lacrosse and field hockey for The Diamondback at the University of Maryland, and will cover the men’s lacrosse beat in the spring. She previously interned for ESPN 980, PressBox, and WJZ – CBS Baltimore over the past two summers. This summer, she will intern at USA Today Sports, assisting with writing, digital, and social media.
What are you most excited about doing during your internship?
I’m really excited to work at a big outlet. In my other internships, I’ve worked closely with one professional in a smaller setting. I’ve learned so much from them, so having access to even more journalists and editors in a national setting should be even more valuable. Also, the Rio Olympics are this summer and USA Today has strong Olympic coverage, so I’m excited to experience that from the newsroom. Though this isn’t at USA Today Sports, I’m also looking forward to the AWSM convention in July to network and learn from so many professionals and some of my biggest role models.
What are you hoping to get out of the internship?
I try to start every internship with an open mind. Every opportunity I’m fortunate enough to have in journalism is a chance to learn and get better, so I’m hoping to build on the skills I’ve developed so far, and hopefully have a successful summer with such a great organization.
How do you think being a Merrill College student prepared you for this internship?
Merrill College really emphasizes getting professional and hands-on experience. Having the required internship credits has helped me branch out from class and covering Maryland sports. Plus, having a campus outlet like The Diamondback has taught me how to cover a team and dig beyond the basic story lines.
Chloe Pavlech: MLB Network
Pavlech is a broadcast journalism major who graduated in three years and is now pursuing a master’s degree. She is a member of the University of Maryland women’s basketball team and has previously interned with Comcast SportsNet. This summer, she will be interning with the MLB Network in Secaucus, N.J.
What are you hoping to get out of the internship?
I’m looking forward to gaining more experience out in the field and in the newsroom. I know a fair amount about baseball, but not as much as I do about basketball so it will be fun to switch it up a little bit.
How do you think being a Merrill College student prepared you for this internship?
As a student-athlete, I haven’t had a lot of internship opportunities due to the time commitment of basketball. Luckily, the classroom scenarios at Merrill College are set-up and taught based on real world newsroom settings. I also had an internship last summer with Comcast Sports Network. It was a great experience, and the people I worked with really helped me learn a lot.
