When Jennifer Stup finished her freshman year at Shippensburg University in May 2003, like most college students she looked for a job to help pay the bills while she pursued a communications degree, preparing for a job in the field. Luckily Jennifer was able to combine a job and learning through a paid summer internship as a reporter for The Bedford Gazette. This Everett Area High School alum, who graduated near the top of her class, was recommended for the job by her high school English teacher Beth Engle, who gave Jennifer an enthusiastic endorsement. Jennifer said she entered the internship knowing almost nothing about newspaper production. She did have good basic writing skills gained in her high school and college classes and she found those basics equipped her to move forward in the job. “I learned that I loved to write and enjoyed meeting all kinds of people and telling their stories,” she said. “It just felt right.”

This ambitious Clearville-area native has accelerated her college career - earning a semester of credits through Allegany College of Maryland’s Bedford County Campus’ early college program while still in high school and taking heavy loads each semester at Shippensburg - and will graduate a year early. She also followed up with a second internship this summer, which Jennifer said solidified her career plans. “I had originally thought I’d go into public relations, but after working at the Gazette I’ve decided to stay in journalism - at a newspaper or perhaps at a magazine.” She recommends other students try to find an internship or other job-experience in their field - either paid, or if they can’t find a paid position, by volunteering. “You may need to be persistent, but the end-result is worth it because there’s really no substitute for getting out and doing the work in a real-world setting,” she said. “I learned so much about the business and more importantly, I learned so much about what I like to do and my own skills, that I’ll always be grateful for this opportunity, no matter where my career takes me in the future."

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