RSJ alum Tasha Courtney is now the Event Coordinator for The Great Reno Balloon Race.

by Kylee Brooks

Internships taken by RSJ students have frequently connected graduates to their first jobs. Tasha Courtney graduated in August of 2010 and in one short year has moved across the country and back again for an amazing career opportunity.

To fulfill credits needed to graduate Courtney served as an intern for The Great Reno Balloon Race.  “The relationships I made and experiences I gained from my internship allowed me to learn what it is that I enjoy doing.” When she graduated, Courtney wanted to explore the possibilities in a major market.  “I connected with a former RSJ student currently working in advertising in Chicago and decided to move there to see what opportunities would arise.”  After only a couple months in the Chicago area Courtney learned of an open position from her mentor at her Reno internship. “It was so unexpected. I found my ‘amazing opportunity’ and it was back home where I grew up doing what I knew I loved because of my internship.” In June of 2011 she moved back to Reno and became the Event Coordinator for The Great Reno Balloon Race.

Courtney’s experience as a RSJ student prepared her with the tools needed to coordinate a successful event for 2011. “It’s my job to be the hub of all information, I communicate ideas and set meeting to get them into action.” Courtney is grateful that the opportunities she had in college has given her leverage for a successful future.

Warren Lerude, professor emeritus, who has managed the internship program for three decades says “It is simply routine, many of the internships students have turn into careers.” The Reynolds School of Journalism internship program gives students experiences in professional settings in Reno and other cities both in the United States and abroad. The RSJ prepares students in the classroom and out with training to obtain the future they desire.