K & L Media’s Internship Program Changes the Game
Here at Bellingham Alive, we are so excited to offer our internship program to local students looking to break into the industry. We offer internship positions in nearly all of our departments: from editorial to design, marketing to photography, and accounting. Interns get recognition on imprint at the beginning of the magazine and on several bylines throughout their internship, which enables them to grow their portfolio, giving them a head start against other applicants as they apply for full time positions. Interns also get to work interdepartmentally quite frequently, which helps demonstrate flexibility in their skills; a photography intern might have several editorial stories published any given month.
“At Bellingham Alive, we dedicate a large portion of time and resources from key staff positions to create experience-driven internships. These internships provide realistic training in not only specific areas of interest, but also in working in an office setting. We welcome a new team of interns every three months, which is quite challenging for the staff, restarting the training process quarterly. Still, we strive to ensure each intern’s experience sets the stage for a successful career in their chosen field.”—Jenn Bachtel, Office Manager.
Throughout the duration of the three-month program, our interns get incredible hands-on experience throughout the print cycles, such as shooting cover photos, writing feature stories, fact-checking articles written by our wonderful writers, and researching and connecting with local businesses. Through our program, students learn the basic foundations of journalism and editorial production while connecting with their community. “As a mother and business owner, I am passionate about Bellingham Alive’s internship program. Our industry can be a hard nut to crack. To be able to provide them with a platform where they get hands on experience and be published in a nationally recognized publication is vital. Whether it is design, photography, or journalism we have been able to help launch these young adults into the fields in which they are interested in. I am proud of every single one of them and Bellingham Alive for being able to provide such a valuable experience.”—Lisa Karlberg,President/Publisher
We are so proud of our internship program and our interns, and we believe that this makes all of us at K & L Media game changers. Check out some of the alumni, where they’re at now, and how their internship helped shape their careers.
RACHEL POSTLEWAIT
Internship: Design
Now: Graphic Designer, Puget Sound Business Journal
“There is no doubt I was shaped by my design internship with Bellingham Alive. I gained an invaluable lens, seeing the inner workings of a serious publication, that solidified for me what path I was to take.”
MIKAYLA NICHOLSON
Internship: Editorial
Now: Education Outreach Coordinator and Projectionist, Pickford Film Center
“This year I went to Sundance Film Festival and got paid to do it, which I still can’t wrap my head around. These days mostly I’m using the writing skills I picked up at Bellingham Alive to promote or critique movies, which is a perfect fit for me.”
ERIC TRENT
Internship: Editorial
Now: Sports Reporter, Lynden Tribune
“Bellingham Alive helped instill in me meticulous fact-checking habits that serves me well every day at my new job. (Editors’) edits, suggestions, and tips also helped push my feature writing to another level. I’m grateful for the opportunity and the learning experience I had at Bellingham Alive.”
GABBY ROPPO
Internship: Marketing
Now: Marketing Assistant, Bob’s Heating and Air Conditioning
“Through content creation, digital marketing, event planning, and so much more… I gained confidence wearing the many hats of a marketer during my internship with Bellingham Alive. My biggest takeaway was learning to work through the fog of the unknown. Being able to self-start and believe in the work that I am producing has helped me tremendously in the workplace.”
ALLY HIESTAND
Internship: Design
Now: Junior Designer, Red Rokke Commerce Marketing
“I started as a design intern, which has since turned into a part-time job as Red Rokk’s junior designer. Additionally, I have been doing some freelance design work on the side. The Bellingham Alive internship was my first experience doing professional design work—which has helped open more doors for me in the industry.”
ROBERT DUDZIK
Internship: Editorial
Now: Trip Leader, Backroads Travel Company
“In the last year, I’ve hiked, biked, and shot photos in some of the most breathtaking destinations in North America and got to call Glacier National Park, the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, and the Big Island of Hawaii my home for months at a time. Getting the opportunity to work with Bellingham Alive… was one of the most beneficial learning experiences I’ve had. They gave me a real world look at the professional world of content development and journalistic writing.”
MAX TROTTER
Internship: Marketing
Now: Strategist, Portent Digital Marketing
“I learned how to think critically about marketing strategy and how to maximize a brand’s impact through multiple channels. I can also attribute my time management skills to my time at Bellingham Alive, where I learned to balance multiple deadlines in an already-busy schedule.”
ISABELLE MORRISON
Internship: Editorial
Now: Freelance Journalist
“The valuable experience I gained at Bellingham Alive prepared me to go on to work for YES! Magazine on Bainbridge Island. I’m currently a freelance journalist with bylines in The Guardian and MTV News.”
LYDIA MCCLARAN
Internship: Marketing
Now: Marketing Assistant, K & L Media
“I went into the internship program at Bellingham Alive knowing next to nothing about marketing. But I wanted to challenge myself and try something new. Because we are such a small company, I learned so much about every aspect that goes in to making the final product. I got a job here as the marketing assistant after two months as an intern and now I am on my way to NYU in the Summer Publishing Institute! I would never have had this opportunity without the amazing support of the staff at Bellingham Alive.”
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