Each year, KUED, the public broadcasting station located on the University of Utah campus, offers internships to students interested in media and broadcasting careers.
U student Chrissy Gerrard's internship with KUED began in March and will end in November. Since the start of her internship she has been assisting the special events planner in preparing for the Speaking for Women's Health Conference taking place Oct. 27.
"I basically work on the Web page, on invitations and other jobs that need to be done for the upcoming conference," Gerrard said.
She currently works about 15 hours a week, but as the conference nears, she will work full time.
Gerrard previously worked for the Sundance Film Festival, but was interested in the KUED internship because she wanted to experience something different.
"KUED is a local and non-profit organization, which is something new for me. It will definitely help me with what I want to do with my career in the future with event planning," Gerrard said.
When her internship ends in November, the position will open for other students who can apply until early spring.
"The internships are only offered to students," said KUED human resources liaison Christy Dunn. They are advertised through the communication department at the U and can be found online. There are currently five interns working at KUED.
Rachel Cannon is one of those interns at KUED. During her time at the station she has had the opportunity to do a wide variety of jobs.
"I do a lot of research and run the teleprompter for the shows we have. I also write blurbs about the different shows and post them on the Web site. I do editing for certain promos and help to receive tapes from other sources," Cannon said.
Interning at KUED has allowed Cannon to broaden her field of interest, but also focus on her specific areas of interest. The position's flexibility allowed her to work as much or as little as she wanted.
Ryan Hansen, the productions intern at KUED, spent his time working on the documentary "Lost Canyon" under Ken Verdoia.
During his internship Hansen has done work similar to Cannon, such as logging tapes and carrying equipment. He has also had the opportunity to follow those creating the documentaries to different areas around the world.
He recently followed and filmed archaeologists as they discovered hidden American Indian artifacts from the 1300s. He hopes to use his KUED experience when he travels to Africa someday.
Hansen said he has felt as though he belongs at KUED and was welcomed by all those whose paths he crossed.
"I absolutely adore every minute I spend at KUED. They make me feel like part of the organization and that will help me in the future," Hansen said.
Internships at KUED become available as extra help is needed. In addition to the Speaking for Women's Health internship available next spring, the station expects openings for its public affairs internship this fall and the productions internship next summer. Applications for fall positions are due in August. More information can be found at www.kued.org.
Volunteers are also welcome at KUED.
cyork@chronicle.utah.edu
