“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”

~ Chinese Proverb

Deanna and Me in downtown Silver Spring after shooting her standup

Today I invited intern Deanna Reid out with me for a shoot. I remember what it was like sitting around the newsroom as an intern. Scared to touch anything. Nervous to answer the phone because I knew whoever it was.. a viewer, an employee, someone from network .. was gonna need something I had no idea how to get. I remember shaking, sitting in the news car riding along with a reporter who I was for sure certain was annoyed to have me as a shadow on deadline. But then I remember my mentors. The people who I reached out to… people who surprised me. They didn’t act like they didn’t have time. In fact, they made time to teach me.  It’s why now… I enjoy paying it back. I enjoy it because I know that I wouldn’t have made it in this crazy world of news if I didn’t have people I looked up to, believe in me.

Now for some fun updates: After working with me for months I sent intern Rachel DeMita off to LA to work with my first mentor, Mark Steines at Entertainment Tonight. Mark has a local news background and is the one who gave me my first job in TV. Rachel interned for him this past summer. She’s now in LA making strides with a hosting and modeling career.

Sasha Horne was my first intern and she left some HUGE shoes to fill. I was so proud of her. She went on to help produce at CNN and landed an on-air gig in North Carolina. Now she’s on TV and radio covering politics in Atlanta.

Intern Juan Carlos helped me tremendously through my pregnancy and always kept me laughing– especially when he would  thank me for “responding to my email” after EVERY email I responded to. He’s now pursuing work in TV and film.

Oh this was a dangerous duo! Just kidding. I’ve never met such eager learners. Britt Wright and Yoni Lee were intern all-stars. Both have finished school at George Mason and are working to land their first on-air job in a small market.

It's not what you think! The radio station we were shooting in was mega small so we all couldn't fit. They know I love them.

She use to help keep DC up to speed here on OMG covering events and helping produce my morning news segment. Former intern Erica Moody now writes for TheSceneBisnow. I have so many others who I loved working with too and I try to keep up with all of them! Former interns– if you’re reading this (i’ll be impressed now that it’s not required ha!) let me know what you’re up to!