Chips Quinn Scholar Recounts What It Was Like to be an Abilene Reporter-News Intern

Ever since I got into college I couldn’t wait to turn 21. This summer I would finally reach that milestone birthday and I was anxious to celebrate. I was spending my summer in Abilene, Texas 600 miles away from my home in El Paso. However, now that I look back on it, my 21st birthday wasn’t even the highlight of my summer.

While everyone turns 21 not everyone has the honor of calling themselves a Chips Quinn Scholar. I was awarded that honor and through the program was about to embark on the best summer of my life so far. After a week of orientation at Washington D.C. all of the scholars went out to our newspaper internships. I was sent to the Abilene Reporter-News, it had one of the smallest circulations of the papers participating in the program, but I would later find out that it gave me the best advantage.

My first day at work they immediately gave me my assignment and I had to complete the story to run in the next days paper. The pace was so fast for me that I had no time to get nervous. I had made several errors when I started but the editors continued to give me assignments and worked closely with me to improve. Working in the Big Country (as they call that area) is a unique experience. The town of Abilene is made up of modest people with old family values. Coincidentally, the Big Country is the stereotypical Texas. I found myself covering rodeos, Soapbox Derby’s and Rodeo Queen pageants. It was a challenge for me to cover events that I knew nothing about. Everyday I learned something new including rodeo terms and to never wear high heels to a rodeo.

Three weeks into my internship when the cops beat reporter quit they asked me to replace her until they hired someone new. I gladly accepted and became best friends with the police scanner. The experience was exciting yet humbling. I covered fires, floods, drug busts, but the toughest were definitely the fatalities. It was hard to interview a grieving family but I had a job to do. That summer I didn’t only fill in for the cops beat but I had the honor of filling in as the anchor of the local Telemundo channel for a week. I had never worked at a news station before, but through some miracle I managed to figure out how to write in present tense. I kept a video of the shows that my mom shows to all of our guests. I was really proud of myself because out of all the other Chips Quinn Scholars I was sent to one of the smallest newspapers, but I did things not many interns get to do.

As part of my special project at the Reporter-News I was assigned to write an update about 5 teenage arsonists who burned down a school three years ago. All but one were sent to prison and I had to track them all down. I used every resource available to find them and made friends with the Information Officer at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The story was a difficult one because the case had caused a big stir in Abilene. I was able to get an interview with two of the young men who were in prison together. The young men were in a prison in a town outside of Austin. Originally the plan was to do the interviews over the phone but when we found out that wasn’t possible the editor decided to send me out there. They let me take the company vehicle and put me up in a hotel. The two men were only a few months younger than I was but they had experienced a life time of turmoil. After my story was published I received an e-mail from one of the men’s mother. She thanked me for writing the story accurately. All the responses I received about my story were compliments on my accuracy. That had been the best feed back I received. I also won an award for the best story of the month at the paper. It had been one of the best experiences of my life.

Going back home to start school was bittersweet. I knew I would miss working with the staff at the paper and going in to work everyday, I also knew I couldn’t find better BBQ and peach cobbler than what the restaurants at Abilene served up. My experience as a journalist is not over. I am doing some string work for the Santa Fe New Mexican and continue to do write investigative stories. This winter I will also be going back to the Reporter-News to work during the school break. I don’t know where I will end up for my next internship but I know that several newspapers will be hearing from me soon as I hope for another opportunity for an internship.