My internship at Buffalo Rising was one that appeared out of seemingly thin air — I wasn’t sure where I was going to be interning back in August. However, having now worked for a whole semester as a member of the Buffalo Rising team, I can safely say that I have no regrets, and look back on my time fondly. Especially considering the fact I roughly played the role of a producer, something I had never done before.
Heading into the semester, I planned on doing four video and written pieces over the course of the semester heading in, and only managed to finish two with a third potentially on the way. However, the two pieces that I did complete I was extremely proud of, and gave me tons of experiences that I will never forget. My project as a whole focused on former professional athletes that currently live and work in Buffalo, and in my first episode, which focused on former Buffalo Bills, I had the opportunity to speak with Christian Gaddis, Marlon Kerner and Kurt Schulz, all of whom played on the Bills at one point and have since moved on to new endeavors in the work world. Speaking with the three of them was a very cool experience, and seeing my idea that was formed in the month building up to it turn into a video and longer form article was an extremely rewarding feeling.
My second piece focused on former professional hockey players, and featured former Buffalo Sabres Connor Knapp and Morris Titanic and former Buffalo Beaut Maddie Elia. Similar to the Bills, interviewing each person really fascinated me, and hearing about their transitions into the work world fascinated me, particularly Titanic, who was a member of the 1974-75 Sabres team that reached the Stanley Cup Final. While this piece is not finalized and posted yet, I am greatly looking forward to seeing the final product.
All in all, I think getting experience as a “producer” of sorts was something I was not necessarily expecting, but what I took away the most from the entire internship. From compiling lists of potential candidates, to working on the fly to find new interview subjects, to finding out where the video interviews were to be shot, piecing together the written articles it was definitely not the easiest set of stories I have ever worked on, but it was a challenge I was most certainly up for. However, it was a challenge I was appreciative of — I feel like if I didn’t have to work as hard and have a bit stress tossed in occasionally, I would not have taken as much away from the internship.
Looking beyond, I now possess two, and possibly three, pieces that are/will be quality that I can utilize when asked by potential employers if I have any past work, which will aid me greatly in the future. I also was thrown into a role where I was not sure exactly what to expect, and made the absolute most of it, and for that I can reflect back fondly the experience as a whole. Most importantly, I met and worked with some incredible and talented people in my time at BR, people that I know I can turn to with any inquiries that I may have. I could not be happier with how my semester turned out.
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