Career exploration and exposure opportunities are core to the Minds Matter Boston experience, and with the help of our partners at NBCU Boston, they can also be some of the most fun.
Last month, 24 Minds Matter Boston students spent three days behind the scenes in the newsroom. From shadowing audio/visual professionals to planning their own broadcast projects, our students gained valuable lessons about teamwork and synchronicity, and had the chance to imagine futures for themselves in broadcasting. Follow along as one student recounts the experience.
Day 1: First Impressions
Walking into NBC Boston for the first time, I noticed right away how busy everything was. People were moving quickly between desks, talking on phones, and typing as they worked on different stories. There were screens everywhere showing live news, weather, and other broadcasts. It felt like something was always happening, and everyone had their own job to do.
We spent most of the day observing behind-the-scenes work and spending time in the studio and control rooms. It was interesting to see how much time goes into something that only lasts a short time on TV. By the end of the day, I understood that everyone has to stay on schedule and work together to keep things running smoothly—and everyone is really nice!
We also had the chance to start brainstorming and working on a project related to the World Cup, and how we could use different approaches, such as marketing, to get people to watch the World Cup in Spanish on Telemundo.
Day 2: More Exploration
On the second day, we got to go into the studio again and see a live show on The Hub. It looked different than I expected. The set was smaller in person, but the lighting and camera setup made it look bigger on screen. Sitting at the anchor desk felt exciting because it is something I had only seen on TV before, and I watched the anchors practice and get ready for their segments.
Additionally, we actually learned how to tell the weather! I never knew it was something that could be calculated, but we met a meteorologist and talked about his passions and pathway to his career. He always wears suits!
Finally, we got to chat with the President and General Manager of the NBCU Boston branch, Chris Waylin. He was a pretty cool guy, and we learned a lot from his stories. He talked about being a coach of a hockey team and showing up for a 15-second “pre-interview” in the rain to tell a manager he would work for him.
We also got to hear about his values and how much he respects leadership. It’s something that feels ingrained in him, and it’s helped him climb the ladder—he has the ambition to keep going higher.
Day 3: The End of the Journey
By the third day, I started to understand how everything connects—the newsroom, studio, and control room all work together to create a final broadcast. Everyone has a different role, but they all depend on each other and work well in harmony. I was able to talk with even more staff and learn more about what they do each day.
One thing I learned is that presenting is not easy! We finally had to present our World Cup campaign idea to our peers, as well as Vice Presidents and other leaders within NBCU. Even though our idea was similar to another group’s, we had fun together and created some funny skits. I learned a lot over those few days.
I can now think about all the leadership skills and experiences that I’ve gained, and I’m really grateful. This internship was a great opportunity and allowed us to explore something that exists right in our communities. I’m so thankful—thank you to NBCU and Minds Matter Boston!
Partners like NBCU expand students’ understanding of the futures the want to build for themselves and what they want to achieve. Thank you to NBCU for making this an unforgettable experience for our students!
