Thirteen university students who did summer internship at the Jamaica Observer said they are enthused about the experience which provided them with valuable lessons and skills for thriving in the labour market.

The students are Kabian Davidson, Abigail Wint, Shannia Burrowes, Nicholas Brown, Vascion Irons, Mya Watson, Kelsee Fearon, and Jada McPherson who all attend The University of the West Indies, Mona; Ellicia McKay, Jada Bailey, Shanae DaCosta, David Sappleton, who study at University of Technology, Jamaica; and Brianna-Paige Fennell from Sheridan College in Canada.

They were placed at the Observer under the Tourism Enhancement Fund internship programme over a four-week period from July 19 to August 13.

Twenty-year-old Irons, a third-year banking and finance student who was placed in the Finance Department, said he was delighted to work in his area of speciality.

“I really got to see what I would do in my specific field so I can get a heads-up of what I must do for future reference. I also learnt to never give up,” he said during the send-off ceremony for the interns on August 13.

His colleagues were placed at other departments of the company, including Systems, Online, Advertising, Human Resource, and Administration.

Twenty-two-year-old Watson, a third-year liberal studies student, worked in the Online Department.

Watson said she learnt how to write articles and conduct interviews and cried tears of joy when one of her stories was published in the Jamaica Observer‘s Yaad magazine.

“I didn’t expect to have that experience. Sometimes we doubt ourselves and what we are putting out, but at the end of the day we have to hone our craft. They didn’t make us feel as if we were only interns. They gave us work that made us feel useful here,” said Watson.

Nineteen-year-old Wint, a second-year history and journalism student who worked in the Online Department, shared a similar sentiment.

“There were two valuable lessons for me, which were knowing how to work in groups and taking advice. I am really grateful for the experience to work in a field that I am interested in. When you get an opportunity like this, you have to be grateful for it,” she said.

Davidson, 21, who is a third-year computer science and statistics student who worked in the Systems Department, added: “Working in that department you get called upon frequently. So with that experience, I’ve learnt the act of service, how to be diligent and work efficiently.”

In a passionate address to the interns Observer Managing Director Julian Rogers encouraged them to excel in their career paths.

“You never have a start at the top of doing a job, you start at the very bottom, no matter how qualified you are. If you don’t understand the basics about the job, you really can’t aspire to go to the top,” he said.

“It is important as a company that we are in the presence of young people because it reassures us that there is some hope for us to find future candidates to work within this organisation,” he said.

“Thank you for your presence at the Jamaica Observer. You have added value to us. Go out there, make us proud, and maybe one day you will be back leading the charge,” Rogers added.