Kristen Boxman, a senior journalism major, recently experienced firsthand why they call it March Madness. As a producer at KWCH, Boxman worked the 2018 NCAA Division I Men鈥檚 Basketball Tournament, covering the eight teams that played at INTRUST Bank Arena as well as following 黑洞社区鈥檚 journey in San Diego and Kansas State University鈥檚 Elite Eight run in Charlotte. She also got to cover the University of Kansas鈥� road to the Final Four.
鈥淭he past few weeks have been exhausting, but rewarding nonetheless,鈥� she said. 鈥淲orking at KWCH during the tournament has been the most unique experience ever and it was all possible because I started as a newsroom intern, a position I received through the Career Development Center.鈥�
Throughout her time as an intern, Boxman assisted producers, pitching story ideas and editing videos. She also wrote web stories and posted content and game updates to Catch it Kansas鈥� social media pages.
鈥淥nce I completed my internship and transitioned into my producer role, I required minimal training because I had already done it all as an intern,鈥� Boxman stated.
She advises those interested in journalism and news to find an internship or job shadow. 鈥淭his is a field that you cannot learn about from a textbook alone. You just have to get out there and start doing it.鈥�
Wichita State's applied learning program gives students hands-on, paid experience with industry partners, helping them build careers before graduation.
For more information, contact the Shocker Career Accelerator at (316) 978-3688, SCA@wichita.edu, or visit wichita.edu/Career. You can also stop by in person at the Marcus Welcome Center, Suite 139, on the Wichita State campus.