By Dean’s Intern Shira Stein at The Washington…

By Dean’s Intern Shira Stein at The Washington Post

As a young journalist, I dreamed of the day I would walk into the newsroom of The Washington Post. I religiously read their stories, and when I decided to come to Washington for college, I imagined meeting some of their journalists. I never expected that I would become one before I even turned 21.

Over the last semester, I’ve gotten to work with the best journalists in the business. In my section alone is the longest-serving reporter in the newsroom, a staff of top-notch editors and a group of amazing journalists. I’ve covered another racist incident on our campus, the Virginia gubernatorial election, a story about STEM education in Washington-area schools and much more. I even got to meet and interview Mary Beth Tinker!

When you get your dream internship, you think that it can’t possibly be as good as it is in your head, and it isn’t. It’s hard work. It’s staying until 7:30 p.m. because you need to finish edits for your story that will be on the front page of the Metro section the next day. It’s standing outside in freezing weather at 6:30 a.m. to get quotes that you aren’t sure will make it into the story. But it’s also going to an art show of work made by other Post employees and getting coffee with journalists whose stories you religiously read.

I’m so thrilled to have gotten to spend the last three months at one of the best newspapers in the country. Next semester, I can’t wait to do it all again.