Rebecca Rakowitz

Hey everyone! I’m Becca —“Rebecca” when I’m wearing my professional shoes and writing a byline — but Becca for this. I’m a senior journalism major at the University of Alabama, a

Connecticut native, and a huge fan of anything you can dip a chip into. I went into this summer with one main goal: to come out the other side with a better understanding of what I want to do with my life. There were a million things I knew I would love to do: writing, editing, documentary production, social work, law, becoming Tina Fey, etc., etc., etc.

I figured the worst thing that could happen this summer would be that my experience would suck, and I’d realize I don’t want to work in magazines. That would be pretty crappy, but knowing what you don’t want to do is important, so I’d take it as a win.

Well, the worst hasn’t happened. In fact, the best has. This summer, I am interning with Parents magazine. When pitching myself to Parents, I said (given my lack of parental status) the

publication was outside of my comfort zone. But out of my comfort zone is just where I like to be.

At Parents, I’ve organized our main toy testing event (Four hundred toys. Seventy kids. So. Much. Fun.), written stories, attended photoshoots, and run desk sides. I have glamorously interviewed celeb mom Katherine Heigl, and not-so-glamorously (though it is super interesting) helped pack our office for our move downtown. I have gotten a wholistic and wholly incredible view of what it means to work at a magazine. My experience has made me more confident in my skills, and more importantly, in the print industry.

People will tell you time and time again that digital is where you need to be, that print is dying. That mindset does not exist at Parents because that fear does not exist at Parents. At Parents, we know our product is worthy. Each month, we curate print content that moms crave, and while we have and value our digital storytelling, we see it as a complement to our work — not as our inevitable demise.

I encourage future ASME interns to be fearless. Step outside of your comfort zone. Pursue the “risky” mediums. Pursue titles where you aren’t part of their audience. Go where you aren’t the

perfect fit, and learn. Become the perfect fit. And while you’re at it, surround yourself with people who are fearless, too. It’s like taking the road less traveled — it makes all the difference.