The rising junior landed an internship in her hometown of Westchester, New York, this summer with Today Media, furthering her goal of working in digital journalism.
Miranda Ferrante, a rising junior double majoring in journalism and communication design with a minor in dance, was awarded a $3,000 summer grant through the Scripps Howard Foundation.
The grants are awarded to students in conjunction with the Scripps Howard Awards, which recognizes the top American journalists with $170,000 in prize money.
“It’s given me a little bit of a peace of mind and I feel like I can dive fully into my internship and refine my skills without having to worry about a summer income,” Ferrante said.
Ferrante is spending the summer in her home county of Westchester, New York, with Westchester Magazine, a website and monthly lifestyle publication. As an editorial intern, she works almost exclusively with Westchester Home, creating social media content for Instagram, writing blog posts for the website, and connecting with local designers and architects.
“I’m seamlessly blending both of my majors, which I didn’t really expect,” Ferrante said. “It’s very different from news, which is what I’m used to, and I’m taking my more creative side and my writing side and blending the two together.”
Ferrante said her journalism background from Elon allows her to be versatile and adapt to her workflow quickly this summer.
Ferrante first heard of the internship through a former connection in her hometown. When applying for the grant, Ferrante said she relied heavily on Amber Moser, director of internships in the School of Communications.
“Amber was really helpful throughout the whole process, especially with guiding me through specific steps and following up with the right people,” Ferrante said.
Glenn Scott, associate professor of journalism, was one of Ferrante’s faculty recommendations for the grant and praised the aspiring journalist for her class engagement and effort.
“Miranda has a great appetite for learning, and her attitude is infectious,” Scott said. “She’s fun to be around. All great journalists share a drive to make the next story their best yet, and Miranda exudes that. She’s curious and helpful, with a strong commitment to public service.”
Ferrante has published several pieces in the Westchester Magazine website and has more scheduled for publication. She also has a print article that will be published in the August edition of Westchester Magazine.
The Scripps Howard Foundation has served more than 1.5 million people since its inception in 1962 with a mission to support community programs and empower journalists.