Northern Oklahoma College sophomore, Nick Bocanegra, spent the last few weeks gaining real-world experience interning for the Newkirk Herald Journal.
Bocanegra spent his fast-paced days interviewing people, writing news stories, selling advertising, creating advertisements, and working on a social media strategy for the paper.
“My favorite part of the internship was that “we never stopped moving. We were always running around town doing something. I never sat at a desk for longer than a couple of hours,” said Bocanegra. Nick continued, “The days were always fun and went by quickly.”
Bocanegra enjoyed working for Scott Cloud, the editor of The Newkirk Herald Journal. “Scott was a great person to learn from. Scott runs The Newkirk Herald all by himself, so obviously he works very hard. It is easy to see that he loves his job and has fun doing it. His passion and energy are qualities that I would like to have when I join the workforce,” said Nick.
The internship also “gave me a better understanding of why we learn some of the things we do in mass communications,” said Bocanegra.
NOC mass communications faculty member, Scott Haywood, said, “It’s always great when a student takes the concepts they learn in class and apply them in the real world. I am proud of the job Nick did while working for The Newkirk Herald Journal. He did a great job on the stories he wrote. I also appreciate NOC offering students the opportunity to intern with our business partners.”
Bocanegra was surprised to learn how important relationships are in the newspaper business. Bocanegra went on, “It didn’t matter if we were working on news writing or advertising, it became very clear that maintaining a good relationship with the public was the most important thing.”
A 2015 graduate of Ponca City High School, Bocanegra is completing his Associate of Arts degree in Mass Communications. After NOC, he plans to transfer to Northwestern Oklahoma State and continue studying mass communications.
“NOC internships are designed to blend classroom academics with meaningful work experiences,” said Dr. Rae Ann Kruse, Dean of Academic Services.
Kruse continued, “Our goal is to produce successful graduates who acquire a broad range of skills, in the classroom and through internships that employers tell us they are seeking in new employees.”
NOC students interested in an internship for the fall semester should contact Kruse at 580.628.6341.