School of Communication and Journalism’s Washington, D.C. – based interns are getting a more robust experience through seminars, networking events, and tours offered by FIU in DC’s The Talent Lab– a semester-long program that enhances students’ DC experience. As part of the Lab, the Communication Department will trains DC interns in the basics of workplace communication–essential for students suddenly immersed in a fast-paced professional work environment.
A recent Talent Lab evening session (with pizza!) on business communication included SCJ Interns Madalyn Medrano, the Latin America Program intern at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; Juan Salgado, FIU in DC’s communications intern; and Alexis Woodyard, who just landed a job at U.S. News and World Report following her internship in the South Florida News Service’s Washington Bureau. Also in attendance were Belen Sassone, FIU Congressional Intern and Patricia Guadalupe, DC News Bureau professor. Participants responded to several scenarios and crafted appropriate messaging. The students’ work was then displayed on FIU in DC’s flat screen wall for group feedback.
Other key Talent Lab offerings include primers on communication in politics, covering DC in mass media, and sessions with the author of Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation’s Capital.