Walking into her first day as an intern at Fox 2 St. Louis, Lisa Baroni, an Advertising and Marketing Communications major, didn’t know what to expect.

“I figured as an intern that I wouldn’t get as much real work as I do,” Baroni said. “But everything’s been very hands-on. I’ve been to client meetings, client luncheons and even made a presentation.”

It was just the experience Baroni was seeking … and just the experience the School of Communications’ internship program seeks to provide.

The program — managed by Internship Coordinator Mindy Berkowitz — is designed to assist students as they bridge the academic and professional worlds. But a successful internship can become so much more.

“It’s a learning experience,” Berkowitz said. “The learning starts as soon as they start looking.”



If conducted appropriately, the internship is an opportunity for a promising student to gain valuable experience and for potential employers to gain an equally valuable asset. More than 150 students annually secure internships through the School of Communications, in all fields of study.

Photography major Erin Whitson currently works as an intern for the Missouri Botanical Garden.

“My internship … has been fantastic,” he said. “I shoot photographs all the time and already have been published numerous times, including some photos that will appear in an insert in The New York Times with my name attached.”

Dennis Grubaugh, city editor at The Alton Telegraph, has been turning to Webster University for qualified interns for the past three years. The Telegraph now claims four former Webster interns and alumni among its ranks of full-time reporters and photographers.

“The last three people I hired here were Webster interns or graduates,” Grubaugh said. “We’re open to interns from other places; it’s just worked out really well with Webster.”

Grubaugh credited the relationship he’s established with Berkowitz. As internship coordinator, she helps pair students seeking real-world experience and employers seeking qualified candidates. Each student receives individual attention and is provided with several opportunities to consider.



“The personal relationship is what makes our program as good as it is,” Berkowitz said. “It’s not enough to support them in getting the internship. We also offer ongoing support.”

The ongoing support is what helps make the experience a success, Baroni said.

Monthly classes taught by faculty members Joe Schuster and Eileen Solomon provide a forum for group support beyond the one-on-one attention given to all SOC interns.

“In class they recommended not to be shy and to ask for a performance review,” Baroni said. “I did and my boss was so glad. She said I was the first intern to ever speak up and ask for one.”

Angie Maniscalco, an Advertising and Marketing Communications major, shared her equally positive comments about her current internship with Javelin, a St. Louis-based marketing firm.

“My internship has not only helped me understand the industry better, but is has also helped me to build relationships that could help me find jobs in the future,” she said. “It gives students a chance to find out what they like and, more importantly, what they don’t like.”

Do you have a similar story to share? E-mail scan@webster.edu

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