Summer Internship Spotlight: Jenneke Oostman

Jenneke Oostman is working this summer in New York City, New York, as an editorial intern at Travel + Leisure magazine, the world's leading travel magazine, with more than 5 million readers. Her duties include writing blog posts and assisting magazine staff members with interviews and travel research. A veteran traveler, Jenneke has studied abroad in Denmark and will study in India during the 2012-13 academic year. The senior from Hansville, Washington, is majoring in creative writing, and she plans to pursue a career in journalism.

Describe your day-to-day experiences so far.
I work in the editorial department. The majority of my work consists of helping the magazine's editors with travel research. However, I also assist with interviewing, fact-checking, and other miscellaneous tasks, like mailing packages. I am encouraged to write blog posts for Travel + Leisure's blog, too!

How did you learn about this opportunity? Did anyone from Knox play a role?
Marilyn Webb (distinguished professor and chair of journalism at Knox) encouraged me to apply to the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) internship program. Only 10 percent of ASME applicants are accepted. ASME's 34 interns for 2012 are working at multiple magazines throughout New York City, Washington D.C., and at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut.

When I was accepted to the program, I had the opportunity to apply to intern at Sports Illustrated, People, Vanity Fair, Glamour, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Food Network Magazine, among others. Travel + Leisure was one of my top choices because, simply, I love to travel.

Can you cite an example of how your in-classroom and/or out-of-the classroom experiences at Knox have benefited you in the internship?
My Knox professors, Marilyn Webb and John Haslem (director of the Knox Center for Teaching and Learning), have helped me to succeed as a writer. I owe them many, many thanks! Marilyn's classes persuaded me to become a journalist; her tough, but encouraging, advice pushed me to develop skills in news writing and reporting.

Experience as a writing tutor and a teacher's assistant for John Haslem, as well as being a student in John's classes, challenged me to become a better writer. Marilyn and John are excellent professors and amazing friends. I also owe my advisor, (Associate Professor of English) Monica Berlin, a thank you! She helped me to pursue many, many crazy ventures.

Internships at the Los Altos Town Crier and the Bainbridge Island Review have also proven to be invaluable to my development. The classes I took during a semester abroad the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, were also important to my education.

How do you think this internship will benefit you in terms of your education, future career plans, personal development, etc.?
This internship has proven to be incredibly insightful. I have learned about the elements required to produce a successful magazine, and have developed my own researching, reporting, and writing skills.

What inspired you to pursue the internship?
Working at Travel + Leisure is a dream come true. I choose to pursue this opportunity because I love journalism -- I love interviewing, writing and editing. I also love to travel. Living in Manhattan is another perk of the job.