If I had to pick my favorite part of running a hyperlocal press, it has been working with brilliant young people at different junctures, mostly during the spring and summer, but not exclusively, either. Over the years, many teenagers or young adults both at local high schools, or later, home from college, have approached the Inside Press for an opportunity to learn about magazine journalism and to gather their own body of work for a future career–whether that career takes them into journalism or not.
I love the energy and enthusiasm and their sense of hopefulness and am also often startled by the sheer level of talent too, as both reporters, and writers. This past year has been an especially productive ‘intern year’ for the Inside Press.
Across the three Inside Press Magazines, and at insidepress.com, you’ll find work from a half dozen high school and college aged youth. During this publishing cycle alone, Alexa Troob helped (a too busy) me shape the Derek Anderson profile as we went to press. Illeana Baquero went above and beyond contacting every fire chief in the towns we cover, to produce her “call to volunteers” package. And Adrianna Cmiel-Walsh picked up the story about Jared Saiontz, a food allergy awareness advocate. Over at Inside Armonk, I appointed Abigail Glickman editor of the entire edition and she lined up former classmate Johnny Cozza, Ella Manners and Irene Byrne, former Byram Hills classmates to contribute to the issue.
Journalism has changed drastically over the last ten years or so, so trust me when I tell you that I learn from younger voices, too. So, highlighting their faces and names here to convey a sense of who they are. I hope you enjoy all their work and you can learn more about each of them in their story bios too!
