I want to use this Sunday’s column to thank our intern and staff writer Victoria Byrnes for all the help and work she contributed to this publication during her time here.
Before the Spring semester began, I received a random email from a Texas Tech senior looking for an internship opportunity and I jumped with joy.
At the time, the News-Press was short-handed on staff writers and I was doubling down on news and sports.
For anyone who is not aware, a bulk of the college’s within Texas Tech requires students to complete an internship in their desired field before graduating, which I did for the College of Media and Communication during my time at Texas Tech.
I was hopeful to get a writer who at least knew the basics and wanted to get their feet wet in this field and we were lucky enough to stumble upon Ms. Byrnes.
Originally set on pursuing law following her bachelor’s degree, she wanted to understand this aspect of the system and I hope as a staff we were able to provide her with what she was seeking.
It didn’t take long for her to get acclimated with the way the News-Press operates and she quickly developed connections within the community.
It was a great thing to see her writing and coverage progress through the semester and even into the Summer as she elected to stay on board as long as she could.
We have been fortunate enough to add more staff since her start and she also had a hand in helping our new staff get the hang of the fundamentals. From working in circulation to getting experience working on lighter things for our lifestyle section, I believe she did a wonderful job during her time with us.
Bylines are not the most important thing in the world but our readers and subscribers saw her name spread throughout our cutlines and bylines because I wanted to the community to be proud of the work she had done.
Being from East Texas, Ms. Byrnes wasn’t entirely familiar with our community, but like us, she was born and raised in a smaller community and she understood how important this publication is to many and never took that for granted.
Leaving us for her next step in her journey, Ms. Byrnes was selected for an internship with the Attorney General’s Office and we couldn’t be more excited for her.
She is planning to complete that internship before trying her hand with Texas Tech’s law program and we wish her nothing but the best. She will always have a home with the News-Press and we hope the community of Hockley County enjoyed the stories and photos she produced.
When somebody asks me how our industry is doing, I tell them we are doing just fine.
It feels good knowing there are still journalist who want to make a career in the field. Informing communities of various events will always be needed.