August 14, 2018

As a newly declared journalism major, Grace Tesoro joined the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, an organization that exists to incorporate more Latino voices in journalism. It was through this organization that she heard about an exciting internship opportunity at NBCUniversal.

“I wanted to get real-life experiences in the industry,” Tesoro said. “NBCUniversal could offer me a view of media careers and learning opportunities in different departments of the industry.”

Tesoro, a junior from Berkeley Heights, N.J., spent her summer interning in two different departments of NBCUniversal—the booking department of MSNBC and Peacock Productions, a subsidiary of NBC News. Both are located in the iconic 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York.

At MSNBC, Tesoro was responsible for booking transportation for guests participating on scheduled shows. Her responsibilities also included greeting guests, escorting them to hair and makeup, and making sure they were on set, promptly, and at the appropriate studio.

“Everything is on a precise time schedule,” Tesoro said.

Her last project in the booking department was to research potential guests to speak on the immigration crisis, perform a pre-interview with the potential guest, and write a summary of each interview for booking producers’ review.

“It was a great experience,” she said.

At Peacock Productions, Tesoro learned the fundamentals of how the company creates programming related to true crime, politics and entertainment for networks such as A&E, E!, Discovery, Lifetime and TLC.

“I got a better understanding of how much preparation and hard work goes into the making of a documentary,” she said. “I was even lucky enough to attend a documentary shoot off-site. It was really exciting!”

Tesoro isn’t yet sure where her professional path will lead her, but she said her internship gave her an appreciation for the passion journalists must possess to pursue a news career.

“This isn’t the type of profession you can do half-heartedly. You need to be ready to work hard every day, no matter the hours,” she said. “News never stops.”