Here’s A Lesson On Never Getting Too Comfortable

By Djacquieleeatusatean’s Intern Jacquie Lee at USA TODAY

Of all the internships I’ve ever had, only this one has given me the opportunity to learn how to create graphics. Typically, I work only with words as a reporting or editorial intern. With this internship I’ve had the opportunity to sharpen my Adobe Illustrator skills. I first learned the program in my Digital Skills class, but as the saying goes, “use it or lose it.” I’m glad I had the opportunity to use it before I lost it.

I don’t expect to walk away from this experience being able to code an entire website (JavaScript included), but I will leave this position with a better understanding of the creativity and ingenuity needed to create graphics for an article. Now, I try to brain storm charts, graphs or interactive media as I write my story. That way, the image and the words complement each other and create a cohesive message. I’m very grateful to have an opportunity to work as an interactive media intern at USA TODAY because now I’m one step closer to becoming the best multimedia journalist I can be.