One week ago, after completing a one-week intensive Communication class, five Stonehill students–Amy, Brendan, Christina, Osasu, and Renee–moved to Los Angeles to begin their semester-long internships. This is, by far, our largest spring cohort of students. Readers will be hearing from them regularly this semester as they chronicle their experiences in and around Hollywood. As their internship advisor, I (Prof. Leone) asked them to reflect on their new surroundings as they transitioned from east to west coast. Some excerpts and images from week 1…
Renee
As my first week in Los Angeles comes to a close, I would like to take some time to reflect on how great it has been. For starters, my flight over Los Angeles was very telling of the beauty I will be living in for a little while. Los Angeles is a city in a valley, surrounded by some very beautiful mountains. As I learned later on in the week, the mountains make for outstanding views day and night….I started my week off by interviewing for my internships; it’s definitely a learning experience to prepare for an interview while trying not to get lost on new streets. I also learned that even though I don’t always know what I want to do with my Communication degree, I know what I do not want to do with it. While both of my interviews went well, I realized that PR isn’t for me. But, I felt right at home at Langley Park Pictures, a Warner Brothers production company. They offered me the internship, and I accepted! So far, life has been busy here in LA, but every moment has been a ton of fun!
Amy coping with the harsh L.A. winter (photo courtesy Amy)
Christina
This week I got my first taste of the real world. Shockingly, this taste came without a 40-hour workweek but instead with the realization of the amount of simple things I take for granted and the newly received responsibility I have earned with no merit at all. Some things I have taken for granted: a full fridge, my mother to buy the groceries that fill said fridge, a queen sized bed, my own car….All kidding aside this week has been interesting, and, in unexpected ways, rewarding. Due to the close proximity of my home to Stonehill, I have never truly experienced the independence many students feel when going off to college. This sense of independence was something I was looking for when deciding to come to LA this semester….I can’t explain how happy the warm weather has made me and how enjoyable it has been to simply explore and take in all this city has to offer. It has only been six days and I feel as though I am already starting to get to know the area and have taken in so many sights. I am very excited to see what the next 4 months has in store!
