By Maria Cestero 

This semester/year, I decided to intern at Greater Moriches, a local online publication based in Shirley, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Eastport, Center Moriches and Moriches. Though not all the articles I wrote were published, it was truly a great learning experience on how to work under pressure and on meeting new people. My boss let me take photos as I pleased because he liked the pictures I took, which were artsy photos. 

I met people who were not fond of reporters and some who were very eager to meet me. Overall, I had more pleasant experiences than not in this internship. 

Being a reporter, I got to experience new foods and lifestyles and to see some shows I would have never seen. I went through haunted houses, light shows and tours of shops 

One of my favorite experiences was reporting on Keith Caputo, who helped so many people and devoted his life to helping people. He wanted to meet his idol, Ellen DeGeneres. I was very moved when I read that he made it to the show and danced in the audience. 

I also liked a story I wrote about a veteran. It was the kind of story I could sink my teeth into. I learned a lot about religion and the army, both of which I was skeptical about before. 

My third favorite experience was the Smith Point Light Show. I had a deer stick its head into my car! I think it was trying to lick me. 

Learning is a big part of life and in journalism. Mistakes won’t break you but offer great insight, whether it’s learning to take the time to get everything, not waiting until the last minute or actually ejecting a disk properly. 

My advice for this internship: photos are important. We used a lot of photos for each article. Have fun with it! Be prepared for last-minute stories. My boss did this plenty of times. That’s a large part of journalism–breaking news! 

That’s all for this memoir. I plan to do another internship for myself soon as well.