2871 My life has been unreal these past couple of years, exclaimed Mass Communications senior Madeline Peters.

Unreal is an understatement, as the 22 year old has interned at over four major places taking her all over the U.S. It all started when the Pensacola, FL native went back home the summer after her freshman year. Its empowering as a young person how you are capable of doing more, Peters said about her first serious internship at a consulting firm. When Peters returned to LSU, she started thinking about how she still wanted to get her feet wet and open new doors. The summer after her sophomore year she applied to work for the Rock the Vote campaign, and to her surprise she got it. She was then able to travel and ended up in Denver, CO working for the National Democratic Convention where she got the chance to watch President Obama give his candidacy speech. This experience sparked her interest in news and media. Through the Rock the Vote campaign, Peters was able to engage others in a career as Peters puts it, something she has always wanted to do. When Peters returned to LSU again, she was even more eager. So she spoke with her mentor Adrienne Moore, the director of the Reilly Center, and they discussed different opportunities she could take. Through this, she got to apply for a spot to intern for Meet the Press for an entire semester in Washington, D.C. With her natural leadership abilities, she really activated the voice, Moore said about Peters internship experience.

During her time in Washington D.C. her professors made an effort to check up on her and even come and visit. Professors truly want you to succeed, said Peters. Through working for Meet the Press Peters realized that she, enjoyed big cities, being exposed to all life has to offer, my love for news, and living on my own. Through her great attitude and work ethic during her Meet the Press internship, she got the chance to work in New York City for Joe Scarborough on his show called Morning Joe. This once in a lifetime opportunity changed Peters and made her more serious about her future career. You must be willing to ask questions and take leaps, Peters said about her time with Morning Joe. Madeline Peters is a passionate, driven individual that has taken her skills learned through the Manship School and brought them elsewhere, said Anna Broussard, a close friend of Peters, about her internship experiences. As of now, she has just started her last semester and is in the process of applying for entry-level jobs in D.C. and New York as a desk clerk or a production assistant. Without Peters internship experiences, she would not be fully prepared nor have the confidence to apply for these jobs. Peters is a great example of how beneficial internships can be and how one opportunity can lead to another.

Abrou45@tigers.lsu.edu Mpete19@tigers.lsu.edu