INTERNSHIP INSIGHT: Linda St. Laurent Gains Valuable Behind-The-Scenes Knowledge At NESN

BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott College is a pioneer in requiring comprehensive internship experiences for undergraduate students in every program of study. Linda St. Laurent (Niantic, Conn.), who is a communication major and a member of the women's soccer program, is currently interning with the New England Sports Network (NESN). Here's a look into her internship experience.

1) Why NESN?

New England Sports Network (NESN) is a great internship opportunity for me as I continue to pursue a career in sports broadcasting. NESN is responsible for broadcasting two professional sports teams which include the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Bruins. This internship has shown me so much about how a professional sports broadcast operates. I also chose NESN because of the great connections they have in the sports media industry.

2) What was the process like to obtain your internship?

The process for obtaining my internship was very much about using Endicott's resources, creating connections from those experiences, and being honest during the interview process. In the spring of 2023, I applied for the summer internship position at NESN. During that spring, Endicott was invited to NESN to pitch a marketing strategy to the Women of NESN (WON) team. There was a small group from Endicott that got to experience this, and I made sure to speak with one of the representatives from NESN and let them know about the position I applied for.

When applying, I was much more concerned about the semester internship, which I needed for my senior year. I knew that applying for this internship though, no matter the term, was important in furthering my move towards my career. Once NESN got back to me about an interview, I made sure to be as transparent as possible stating that my knowledge of hockey and the Bruins was much greater than my knowledge of baseball and the Red Sox. Due to this honesty, this led to my three supervisors offering me the Spring 2024 position, which would be more hockey, rather than the Summer 2023 position, which would be more baseball.  

3) Describe your overall internship experience.

My experience so far at NESN has been amazing. I have not only learned how sports broadcasts operate behind the scenes, but also have made a number of connections along the way. The sporting events that NESN has let me take part in other than the Bruins and Red Sox games include both the Women's Beanpot and the Men's Beanpot, and the Hockey East tournaments. All three of these events have led me to many people that will help further my career in the sports broadcasting world. 

4) What have you learned from your internship?

I've learned so much from this internship. Not only have I learned the ins-and-outs of the behind-the-scenes of broadcast, but have learned how to use many different systems for television broadcasts. I have also been able to shadow different positions in the office which include the director and a sports broadcaster for the Bruins, Sophia Jurksztowicz. Shadowing has allowed me to ask more in-depth questions regarding the two individual jobs. Before this internship, I thought I only wanted to be in front of the camera but after seeing behind the scenes, I see that this is something I am also interested in.

5) How will this internship help you in your career moving forward?

This internship has allowed me to develop many skills and make many connections that will help me move towards my career. The skills I have developed, although behind the scenes, are very helpful if I plan to be in front of the camera because having knowledge of behind the scenes might set me apart from other broadcasters when applying for a position. The connections I have built range from professional sports broadcasters to college sports broadcasters. All of them will be great contacts to have when applying to broadcasting jobs as most, if not all, have told me to reach out with any questions I have. My supervisors have all taught me so much about the sports media world and will also be great contacts as they are the producers for the Red Sox, Bruins, and the pre and post-game shows.

6) What skills were you able to apply from your academic background at Endicott directly to this internship?

The skills Endicott has taught that I was able to apply into this internship are how to work in a fast-paced environment and also the skills I learned from my TV Production class have applied to all parts of my internship. In my journalism classes as well as other media classes I learned how fast the television industry is and was fully prepared for that type of environment going into this internship. Also, although different systems, TV Studio Production was able to show me many of the behind-the-scenes functions such as teleprompter and editing tools which include Adobe Premiere. Lastly, being able to take part in the game day broadcasts for Endicott gave me a glimpse into the operations that go into a sports broadcast. 

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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)