Staying busy during her four years at Ithaca College pushed Amanda Chin (’19) outside of her comfort zone and prepared her for her first journalism job at CNY Central.
“I would encourage anyone as much as they can to just do something that you maybe wouldn't have done in high school, or do something you wouldn't necessarily do,” Chin said. “It'll only prepare you and make you better in the real world.”
Chin had no shortage of experiences at Ithaca College. From her classes, to internships, ICTV, and experiential learning opportunities with the journalism department, Chin dove headfirst into becoming the journalist she is today.
As an MMJ at CNY Central, Chin spends much of her day out on assignment, scheduling interviews and shooting videos. Every day is an adventure for Chin as she ventures out into the community, meeting and giving a voice to the people who live there.
“I just love how every day is different,” she said. “I am learning something new every day and it’s always fast pace and it's never the same.”
She had her first taste at the fast pace feel of a newsroom under deadline when she started reporting for ICTV as a freshman. Chin worked her way up through every position including reporting, writing, anchoring and producing.
“IC gives you the opportunity to start getting that hands on experience freshman year,” she said. “They definitely helped me with deadlines, writing, how to tell a story — you know those basics — but also going out into the community and meeting people.”
Other opportunities outside of the classroom, like covering the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. and attending conferences through the Ithaca College chapter of Society of Professional Journalists, taught Chin what day to day life in the journalism business was truly like.
Chin learned the real pressures of a deadline through a mini course that she took with Jamie Kraft, Senior Executive Producer of Dayside Programming at MSNBC.
“That was one of those experiences was mini course where I was like ‘Whoa, that is a deadline’ because he literally taught it like it was the real world,” she said.
While studying in Los Angeles during the Spring of her junior year, Chin landed an internship with Dateline NBC. When she returned from LA, she then got another internship with NBC – this time with The Today Show in New York City. There, she conducted an extensive amount of research for the producers and contacted experts to compile information.
“When you have that internship, making the most out of it and saying yes to all the opportunities that come about from that internship, you should do,” Chin said. “Those supervisors will like you and they will hopefully help you and give you other opportunities in the future.”
Chin’s participation in the Urbino program through Ithaca College did not hurt her chances at getting internships either. In the summer prior to her junior year, Chin travelled to Urbino, Italy with Anthony Adornato, assistant professor in the Department of Journalism, and a few Ithaca College students. By combining her reporting skills and her knowledge of the Italian language — from her classes in the Italian minor — Chin was able to complete a journalistic project in a foreign country.