Vince Blaser - Summer 2003

I am a 21-year-old senior from Denver. I am double majoring in technical journalism and political science at Colorado State University in Fort Collins and will graduate in May 2004.

I began to take an interest in journalism when I began at CSU and decided to apply at CSU’s daily student newspaper, The Rocky Mountain Collegian. I have worked there for two years, serving as a general assignment reporter for the regional desk, education beat reporter for the state/regional desk, state/regional editor and columnist. I have won two Society of Professional Journalist awards for my stories.

During the spring 2003 semester I studied at Middlesex University in London. In addition to seeing as much of Europe as I could in my first trip across the Atlantic, I also interned for a member of Parliament for the United Kingdom in London. This was an extremely valuable and interesting internship for politics, and I believe will be very useful in being a political journalist. I also wrote a bi-weekly column for The Collegian while in London, which was especially interesting for me because of the war in Iraq.

Next year I will be covering sports for the Collegian and possibly doing some stringer work for local papers. After graduation I think I want to work as a reporter or editor in print journalism, either covering politics or sports. I want to get a master’s degree and possibly a doctorate in either journalism or political science. I may also want to work in politics, possibly as a press secretary. I am also thinking about the possibility of teaching high school or college.

During my internship at the Scripps Howard Foundation, I would like to gain as much knowledge about political journalism as possible. I am hoping to learn from some of the best journalists in the world who work in this city and absorb as much as I can. There isn’t a better place in the world for journalists than Washington. Once journalism gets in your blood, it’s hard to get it out. I am happy to be a part of it.

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