By Gabrielle Chisolm, communications intern, a junior majoring in English at the University of Maryland

Fresh from her May graduation from Syracuse University, former DLE intern Maddie Beck is reshaping her path of a traditional journalism career. “I started college as a broadcast journalism major, but after realizing that it was not a great fit for me, I switched studies to pursue a career that allowed me to work digitally,” she reflects. “Digital journalism has allowed me to explore graphic and web design.” 

To prepare for her future, Maddie took on diverse internship positions, including roles with the Erie Canal and the DLE. Each sharpened her skills and expanded her professional network. “My position with the DLE helped me level up in social media marketing and expand my network, while my Erie Canal position gave me experience with digital equipment–like 360 cameras,” she explains.

Maddie is now embracing an exciting postgraduate chapter with a big move to Australia in August to pursue freelance digital journalism. “I’ve always wanted to study abroad, but never got the chance. Now I’m building a career and exploring a new place at the same time,” she beams. This will be Maddie’s first time in Australia, with her past travels being within Europe and the Caribbean. She will spend six months in Melbourne and six months in Sydney.

“I’ve never been there before, but I know many people who love it. The country offers a visa that makes it easy for young people to travel and work abroad,” she states. “It’s a really beautiful place with a lot of interesting cities to travel to.”

She attributes her confidence in her decision to work in freelance to the connections that she’s developed through active networking. “One of my professors connected me to some really great people who had similar postgraduate goals that were outside of the mold of traditional journalism,” she recalls. “My time at the DLE also introduced me to a new group of professionals to network with. I was able to grow professionally with the help of my new connections.”

The challenges of the current job market–and the increasing popularity of AI–have impacted her industry, causing Maddie to quickly adapt. “AI has definitely made its presence known in the digital field. I’ve learned to view it as a helper rather than a threat,” she says. “There is a fear of losing your skill while using AI, but you can’t receive quality output without first understanding the information that you feed AI. I plan to use it to create quality content for my clients.” 

Using her passion for digital journalism as her compass, Maddie heads into her postgraduate journey with an attitude of optimism. “I have many peers who live in Australia currently, and I’m really looking forward to expanding my international network!”