Communication Studies Internship Opened Doors for Journalism Student

In fall 2008, journalism major Lindsay Zibach (née Indermill) needed to find a way to obtain credit for an internship opportunity. Because she did not have all of the Journalism Department’s prerequisites, Lindsay could not enroll in the Journalism class for her internship at the Discovery Channel. Instead, she turned to the Communication Studies Department and found a solution.

Lindsay Zibach in her job on the Ellen DeGeneres Show
Lindsay Zibach in her job on the Ellen DeGeneres Show

Lindsay Zibach in her job on the Ellen DeGeneres Show

Through the Cooperative Education Experience class (COMS 485), Zibach was able to get the credit she needed – and an experience that would change her life. Zibach remembers that when interviewing for Discovery, her supervisor said, “I'm going to give you the internship that will open every door for you for the rest of your career.” And she wasn’t wrong. The Discovery Channel experience led to an internship at then-Reveille Studios, working for an MTV show called “The Buried Life.”

She explained, “‘The Buried Life’ hired me before graduation, which led to a leapfrogging path from Guillermo del Toro's assistant, to an associate producer title at ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ to story producer credits for National Geographic and Syfy, to finally a freelance contract with companies like ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ and ‘Billboard Magazine.’”

As Zibach completes her Master’s of Fine Arts at Spalding University while writing her first book, she reflects on the importance of the opportunities afforded to her by the communication studies’ Cooperative Education Experience. “Without a doubt, none of this weird and wild career would have been possible if you hadn’t helped me get credit for those internships,” she wrote to Dr. Duffy in an email. “It was invaluable to me then, and continues to be a great lesson in persistence for me now.”
 

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