The Sentinel would like to thank Imani Sumbi and Ivanna Jackson on their exceptional internships this summer working in Editorial and Front Desk & Digitial Media Department exclusively. Both of these young ladies exemplified professionalism, consistency and talent.
Sumbi was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and has attended UCLA Lab School, City Charter School, and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where she played classical flute. She is currently attending Northwestern University.
Jackson is also an L.A. native, who grew up in the Windsor Hills and Downtown L.A. areas. She’s attended Windsor Hills, Cowan Avenue Elementary school, KIPP Academy of Opportunity and Executive Prep Academy of Finance. She currently attends Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ. Jackson’s internship came through a summer youth employee program at Trinity Baptist Church.
“At the Sentinel, I did just a little bit of everything,” said Jackson. “I helped to file papers, I learned how to write for a newspaper, I attended meetings, and so forth.”
Jackson continued, “The main job I was assigned was assisting at the front desk which entailed answering phones, filing DBA’s (fictitious business names), and greeting the individuals who walked through the door.
“Along with that, I was also asked to edit a few videos as advertisements for the Taste of Soul.”
“There’s a rich history in my family of social activism and racial justice advocacy, and I saw in the Sentinel an opportunity to lend the thing I love most — writing — to my own community,” said Sumbi.
“My main task during the internship was to report and write stories that were assigned to me, usually two to three per week.
“I wrote almost twenty stories during my two months at the Sentinel, covering a variety of topics from local summer camps and educational programs, to book reviews, to state and national politics.
“I conducted interviews over the phone and in person, attended events and visited locations across the city, and listened in on national telebriefings.”
Sumbi was also put in charge of the daily “Black Fact of the Day” post, where she put up facts from Black history taken from the Black365 Calendar on the Sentinel website.
She studies journalism at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. She is interested in explanatory journalism, which illuminates pressing issues of the day within the context of their history, and in a way that is accessible to a wider audience. Sumbi also expressed interest in writing for a magazine and working on in-depth pieces.
“So far, I have found I most enjoy reporting on education, and specifically how it intertwines with race issues.”
Jackson’s major in college is digital film with an emphasis in production. She plans to eventually become a film editor, camera operator, and/or a director.
“I love and have a great passion for editing videos, so I am leaning more towards editing as opposed to the others,” said Jackson.
“Another goal of mine is to give back to the inner-city youth who have a passion for the arts.
“My short-term goals are to be involved and apart of as many internship opportunities, especially ones involving film, as I can until I graduate college.”
Both Sumbi and Jackson has some advice they wanted to share with youth coming behind them in education and future Sentinel interns.
“To young people, I would say that now is the time to explore,” said Sumbi. “Try different things you may not have thought to try before, and see what you like and what you don’t like—and I don’t just mean this academically or career-wise.
“While it’s helpful to think early about what you might want to study or what you’ll be when you grow up, it’s also important to spend time with your friends and family, let yourself have fun, and just generally enjoy being a teenager.”
“My advice for high school seniors and youth across the board is to apply for as many scholarships as possible!” said Jackson. “It is good to get an education and gain knowledge on a topic that you love and are gifted in.
“But, if you don’t go to college or don’t know exactly what it is you want to do yet, find internships or programs and organizations that will assist you in finding jobs and internships so you can have experience working.
“Along with that, having internships will help you rule out what you want to do or don’t want to do as a career. If you aren’t a senior in high school yet, I recommend getting internships every summer to get your feet wet in different area.”
Sumbi shared, “oh, and one other great thing about working at the Sentinel: free samples of Taste of Soul vendor food.”
The Sentinel has always had the pleasure of receiving the best and brightest interns over the years and the tradition continued this summer.
The Sentinel wishes Imani and Ivanna all the best in their studies and future endeavors.
