From Newsroom Intern to Yale: A Story of Growth and Perspective

The Spencer Daily Reporter recently reflected on the impact of its internship program through the experience of Rachel Bare, who joined the newsroom as a high school sophomore in 2024.

At just 16 years old, Rachel entered the newsroom eager to learn and quickly demonstrated professionalism, curiosity, and strong writing ability. Over the course of the summer, she grew into a capable storyteller and trusted voice in the community. Her experience was further shaped by coverage of the Spencer Flood of 2024, which challenged her to step outside her comfort zone and take on more complex reporting responsibilities.

Now a graduating senior, Rachel has been accepted to Yale University, where she plans to pursue a degree in engineering. According to Yale admissions staff, her newsroom internship played a meaningful role in distinguishing her application.

Below, Rachel shares her experience in her own words:

My job as a newsroom intern granted me a shift in perspective that I wholeheartedly believe is responsible for my acceptance to Yale. College admissions is, by design, a highly introspective process. It involves communicating the truest and most interesting parts of yourself in writing, all while staying under a tight word limit. While the tone is distinctly different from journalistic writing, I can attribute much of my stamina and conciseness to my summer as a newsroom intern.

Throughout my internship, I learned how to write by brute force. Never before had I written so much in such a short period of time, nor had I asked so many questions. Getting to interact with my community from a unique and trusted position allowed me to gain a fuller understanding of how essential accurate reporting is, especially in small towns. The scope of my experience was widened because of the Spencer Flood of 2024. Overnight, my job responsibilities increased exponentially, pushing me beyond my comfort zone in many ways. I remember being absolutely terrified to conduct a local interview in May, but by August I was cold-calling FEMA’s public relations contact.

There were also personal interviews that were heartbreakingly honest. Being trusted with stories of loss and heroism amidst my town’s horrible tragedy was sobering and incredibly insightful. I wrote about these experiences in my college applications because they were so impactful to my perspective as a member of my community.

I will be forever grateful to the people I interviewed and worked with as a newsroom intern. The experience, even in a typical summer, is unparalleled. My Yale acceptance is merely a happy consequence of working an incredibly privileged and worthwhile job, which I would happily recommend to anyone seeking a summer of genuine service.

-Rachel Bare

While Rachel’s future lies outside the journalism field, her experience underscores the broader value of local newsroom internships. These opportunities go beyond building skills—they offer insight into the purpose, responsibility, and impact of local media. In doing so, they help cultivate informed, engaged individuals who carry an appreciation for community journalism into whatever paths they pursue.

— Brad Hicks, Publisher, Spencer Daily Reporter