Rachel Shussett

By Rachel Shussett

Summer internship opens doors to possible career in church communications

Editor’s note: Rachel Shussett was the recipient of a Jameson-Hines Scholarship from the Presbyterian Writers Guild to fund her work as summer intern for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Communications in Louisville, where she divided her time between Presbyterian News Service, Presbyterians Today, and the Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study. Shussett wrote these reflections just before leaving Louisville in August to return to Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, where she is a junior majoring in public relations and minoring in journalism.

Summer is coming to an end, and it is time to move back up to Pennsylvania to see my family and then head off to start my junior year of college. How did that happen?!

This summer has truly flown–and when I say that it’s because I was having fun, I really mean it. Having this internship with Presbyterians Today, the Mission Yearbook, and the Presbyterian News Service was an amazing experience, one that I am so grateful to have had.

I learned a lot about myself this summer. You don’t truly know what you are capable of until you are tossed into a real work environment and have to hit the ground running. It could have been scary, or stressful, or a total nightmare. But for me, it was a huge blessing. I accomplished so much in my three months in Louisville, and much of that is thanks to those that I worked with.

Over the past three months, I have written and edited more stories than I can remember, posted a gazillion tweets, Facebook statuses, and Instagram photos, and traveled to two conferences. Not too shabby, if I say so myself!

I loved every minute of this summer. It truly solidified my drive to work hard, finish school, and then get a job as a journalist. It isn’t an easy path, but if you work hard enough, you can make it. And, as Philippians 4:13 so aptly states, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

This summer was a wild ride, and I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to be an intern with communications at the national office of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). I’m also grateful for the doors already being opened as a result. A very special thanks is in order for the Presbyterian Writers Guild, which funded my internship this summer and helped to make it happen.

And with that, I bid you all adieu–until next time!