The Significance of a Single Opportunity: What an Internship Under the NYWICI Scholarship Program Did For Me and My Career
Every time I look back on all that my NYWICI scholarship did for me, I become more and more grateful. As part of being the inaugural recipient of The Ellen Levine Memorial Scholarship supported by Hearst, I had the extraordinary opportunity to intern at one of Hearst’s magazines. And although it lasted for less than three months, it brought a lifetime of impact on me as both a person and journalist.
From the moment a Hearst representative shared with me the Good Housekeeping Research Institute’s independent testing in exposing Pirate’s Booty low-fat mislabeling during my NYWICI scholarship interview, I believed the Good Housekeeping brand could be a good fit for me. At the time, my work revolved around hard news and investigative reporting at newspapers, but I was intrigued by this investigative side of magazines and welcomed the opportunity to experience something new to me– the magazine world.
Once I found out I was named the 2023 Ellen Levine Memorial Scholarship recipient, my curiosity combined with the fact that Levine was Good Housekeeping’s first female editor-in-chief and held the position for 12 years solidified my interest in working at the brand. And once I set foot in the Good Housekeeping office, I was welcomed with open arms by my new colleagues and knew I made the right choice.
My editorial internship at Good Housekeeping allowed me to explore new ways of writing and topics that made me a more well-rounded journalist. But it didn’t just give me the opportunity to learn from the skill sets of its staff– it also allowed me to appreciate the brand’s values and helped me become a more well-rounded person.
My internship also brought me closer to Levine. I had the opportunity to meet some of the colleagues closest to Levine during her time at Hearst Magazines, and they shared some of the best advice she had given them: talk to everyone, have fun in what you do, be curious and ask questions. It was Levine’s questioning of the low-fat labeling on Pirate’s Booty that led to an impactful revelation and her character that has left an impact on Hearst’s present-day culture.
At Good Housekeeping and Hearst, I had the chance to be a part of a community bigger than myself. I didn’t just gain an opportunity– I gained a family. And that family is still by my side to this day.
I encourage all young, college-aged women in the communications industry to apply for a NYWICI scholarship. I am fortunate to say receiving a NYWICI scholarship and internship at Hearst Magazines has changed my life and career for the better, and I believe it will do the same for all who come after me.
