The Sentinel has always had the pleasure of receiving the best and brightest interns within the Editorial Department—and this year was no exception. Faith Petrie and Talley Morton have both contributed top-notch stories to the paper this summer. They both shared a little about themselves, their internship, goals and some advice for their peers.
“I enjoy documentary-making, video production, and photography, so I may incorporate those things into my journalism career,” said Morton. “But really, the future is pretty open right now.”
Morton was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois but has lived most of her life on the East Coast, primarily in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, while attending high school in North Carolina. She is currently studying journalism, gender and sexuality studies at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
“I’ll be graduating in 2020, but I’m not yet sure what I’d like to do afterwards,” said Morton. “I’ll be going to Thailand for five months at the end of the summer – so I’ve entertained the thought of working somewhere abroad or at least working for a company that allows me to travel.”
“In the fall, I’ll be attending Cal State Long Beach and I hope to graduate in two years with a degree in journalism,” said Petrie. “I’m thinking about minoring in music or Japanese or maybe both.”
Petrie grew up in Inglewood, California and eventually moved to Redondo Beach. She attended Redondo Union High School, then El Camino College for two years.
“Going into the internship, I didn’t really know what to expect as this is my first internship but I can say with confidence I’ve learned a lot of valuable things that I know will come up when I pursue a career in journalism,” said Petrie.
She continued, “I also learned how to network and build connections through interviewing and found my particular style of interviewing.
“It was cool to just get immersed into the newsroom culture and see how things work.
“After school, I want to write for a music publication but I’d just like to write in general.”
“The experience I’ve gained here is priceless,” said Morton about her internship. “In my first week alone, I was sent to an event alone to report, photograph, and film.”
Morton continued, “The Sentinel has so much respect around L.A. so I’ve enjoyed being able to be a part of the newspaper during my short time here.”
The ladies offered a little advice to their peers when it comes to education and pursuing goals. They both stressed the importance of self-motivation and building connections with others as important keys to success.
“Honestly, the best thing to do is to get involved and build connections—especially friendships!” said Morton.
She added, “It’s impossible to do things on your own all the time which is something I’m still learning. Also, it’s nice to be able to have people to talk to and motivate you.
“It’s just important to make sure that you reciprocate.
“Also, hydration is key.”
“I think school is not for everyone,” said Petrie. “There were times where I thought ‘Is this worth it?’ but I always found some type of light towards the end.
Petrie continued, “What got me through school was moral support from friends and family and sometimes strangers.
“I like to think about the end goal of everything I was doing so like, ‘what am I doing this for?’ The answer is always myself.
“Do everything for yourself first and foremost.
“Self-love was something that kept me going even when I didn’t want to anymore.”
The Sentinel would like to thank Talley and Faith on their exceptional internships this summer. Ladies, we wish you the best and know you will go onto to do the very best in your future endeavors.
