Ed was once an intern too, so he knows first-hand how financially challenging it can be to take an unpaid internship and still make ends meet. That’s what inspired him to save up money and set it aside in his Trust Fund account — so he can share it with the brightest and best magazine hopefuls each semester to help make their editorial journeys a little bit easier. This summer, Ed was thrilled to give his Trust Fund to not one, but two well-deserving whippersnappers: Mary Shannon Wells, an intern at Good Housekeeping and a rising senior at the University of Alabama, and Camille Nzengung, an intern at NYLON and a rising senior at the University of Georgia. Read on to learn more about them, plus how you can enter for this semester’s Trust Fund!
1. When did you know you wanted to work in magazines?
MSW: I’ve loved magazines my whole life. When I was little, I would cut words, quotes, clothes — you name it — out of magazines and make these huge collages. Before tearing them apart though, I’d always read every single word, even all the captions, in the whole magazine. It wasn’t until senior year of high school that I discovered I could actually make a career out of my love for magazines. I decided to be a journalism major, knowing that a job in magazines would be my goal.
CN: I’ve always loved magazines as a little girl, but I never even considered the idea of working for one until the summer after my junior year of high school. I had gotten an internship in the fashion department of a now defunct magazine in my town called BLVD. I was able to do a little bit of everything from writing to styling to planning photo shoots. It really opened my eyes to the magazine world!
2. What one experience was most critical for your career future?
MSW: I actually have two separate experiences that I think shaped my college and future career path. Senior year of high school, my creative writing teacher really inspired me. It was in her class that I realized I could actually write for a living, not just for fun. Without her encouragement and guidance, I would never have chosen to be a journalism major. Thanks to her, I’m doing something I am genuinely passionate about. Then, sophomore year of college, my photojournalism professor (who was also my advisor at the time) encouraged me to apply for one of the internships offered at The Tuscaloosa News. I was unsure about applying because I knew that juniors and seniors would be more likely to get the internships. Honestly, I was afraid of failing. However, because he believed in me, I applied for an internship and got it! That semester-long, unpaid internship turned into a yearlong, paid freelance job with The Tuscaloosa News. My time working at The Tuscaloosa News gave me more experience than any class could, and I would have never had that if not for my teacher.
CN: So far, I think working at my campus fashion magazine, Little Red Book, has done wonders for my career future. In fact, my experience with LRB actually helped me to land my current internship at NYLON. Being able to bring a copy of the magazine to my internship interview and show them articles that I have written and shoots that I worked on really impressed my supervisor.
3. Did you work on your school magazine or newspaper? If so, tell us a bit about your role there and your experience.
MSW: The Tuscaloosa News was the newspaper for our city, so I never really had time to work for the Crimson White, our school newspaper. I have submitted pieces to the Crimson White before though and will continue to do so senior year. My junior year, I took a digital journalism class. In the class, we worked as the newsroom for an online publication, Dateline Alabama. I was one of the editors in charge of a team of writers and photographers. It was really fun getting to work on the digital side of things, and the love of editing that I found while working at The Tuscaloosa News was put to good use. This semester, I’m going to be writing for UA’s Service Learning magazine. This publication is all about classes offered at UA that have a community service element. I’m really excited to be writing about such great service programs and classes on our campus that some people don’t know about.
CN: I’ve been involved with my university’s fashion magazine, Little Red Book, since I was a freshman and it has been a truly amazing experience. I’ve met so many interesting people through it and learned so much about magazines through all of the roles that I have held. I have been lucky enough to hold the position of copy editor, beauty editor, and most recently, creative director.
4. What’s your magazine dream job?
MSW: I would love to be a section editor or executive editor, but I’m still trying to figure out which section I fit in best. I’ve always loved features, food and home, though.
CN: I’m unsure about my dream job. I’ve always loved fashion, so I definitely see myself in the fashion department of a magazine.
5. What magazines do you love to read?
MSW: So many. Elle, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Good Housekeeping, InStyle, Real Simple, Southern Living, a local magazine in my hometown called Mobile Bay… The list could go on and on!
CN: Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and Teen Vogue are my must-reads! I have been reading these three magazines for years. I also love reading NYLON for their unique voice on fashion, music, and culture.
6. Tell us a bit about your current internship and the coolest thing you’ve done there so far?
MSW: I’m currently an editorial intern at Good Housekeeping magazine at Hearst. I don’t necessarily work only in editorial though. It’s fun because I’ve been able to help out in different departments and get a look at everything that goes into the magazine other than just the writing and editing. One really cool part of working at Good Housekeeping is also working with the Good Housekeeping Institute. You might be familiar with the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, and the Institute is where all the testing for the Seal happens. There’s a ton of different labs (a beauty lab, a test kitchen, a textiles lab, a cleaning lab, consumer economics lab, and more) where chemists, dieticians, engineers and other professionals are constantly testing out different products to put in the magazine or earn the Seal.
CN: I’m a fashion closet intern for NYLON, so I work with the other interns to coordinate sample trafficking in and out of the closet. We also make sure that the closet is organized and that samples are taken care of properly. I think one of the coolest things about my internship is seeing all of the fashion pieces that get sent in! I’m getting to see items that most people typically wouldn’t get to see.
7. Who are your magazine industry role models?
MSW: While I do have tons of role models currently in the industry, I think my grandmother is the most influential and important one to me. She worked at Southern Living and Oxmoor House as an editor for years. I’ve always looked up to her as a role model in life and in the print business.
CN: Ann Shoket (former editor-in-chief of Seventeen) is someone that I have looked to as a long-time reader of Seventeen. I not only find her journalism career inspiring but her dedication to helping young women develop their leadership skills. One piece of advice that she has shared that has always stuck with me is “Dream bigger than you ever imagined you could. You have no idea the adventures in store for you if you just go grab them!”
8. What do you think set your Trust Fund application apart from the rest?
MSW: Honesty. I put myself out there and didn’t try to sugarcoat. I didn’t just say what I thought the editors would want to hear.
CN: I got really creative with the essay and designed it to look like a magazine profile. It was so much fun to make! With the writing, I was just super honest about my financial situation and very thoughtful about what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it.
9. What advice would you give to future Trust Fund applications to help them get noticed?
MSW: It might sound silly or cliché, but just be yourself. If you are true to yourself, you will get noticed for what makes you unique. Trying to fit in or be someone that you’re not will only hide whatever thing about you is most special. That’s the thing that’s going to catch their eye, so be sure they see it.
CN: Have fun with the application. Write from the heart and really let them why this internship is important to you. Tell them what impact winning the Trust Fund will have on your internship experience.
Pssst! Are you an unpaid intern? Apply to be Ed’s Trust Fund winner next semester.
Ed’s Intern Diaries: The Do’s and Don’ts of Faking It Till You Make It
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