By Jason Calabretta
JMC '13

Junior Jason Calabretta poses with Al Roker outside the White House during the annual Easter Egg Roll.

As a student at SMPA, I have had some really cool experiences and opportunities, but this semester certainly has been a highlight.  For the past few months, I interned at NBC Washington working for the TODAY show, a dream of mine since I came to Washington, DC.

While interning at NBC, I did a little bit of everything.  I logged footage, searched through the tape library, ordered footage from the archives, researched stories and even accompanied a producer on a live shoot.  Every day brought something new, which is what I love about journalism.  It isn't the type of job where you sit at a desk doing the same thing day after day.  One day you could be helping with a story about the election, and the next be gathering elements for a story on the richest hedge fund managers.

Each day, I was able to see the show come alive for the following morning by sifting through the rundown and watching as producers and correspondents made changes to their scripts.  I loved watching the show the next morning and seeing how the rundown changed overnight as news broke.  One of my favorite parts of this experience was sitting in the edit room with producers and watching the story come alive from a piece of paper to the screen.

The standout experience this semester was assisting producers at the White House for the annual Easter Egg Roll.  Al Roker shot the weather report and a few other segments from the White House for TODAY that morning.  I have watched Mr. Roker on television since I was little and it was amazing to be in his presence.  I also was excited to be on the inside of an event that has fascinated me since my freshman year at GW.

I cannot even begin to explain how much I have learned at TODAY and how incredibly talented everyone at NBC News is. Interning at TODAY this semester truly has been a dream come true.  I'm excited to be returning to the show in the fall, when the news really will be picking up as "Decision 2012" moves into the home stretch.