As my time here at the Rush Springs Gazette comes to a close, I am very thankful to my boss, Mary Hill, and also the Oklahoma Press Association for the opportunity.
Working for the newspaper this summer has been an invaluable learning experience. I had a fantastic time learning more about the day-to-day operations of being a journalist and producing content.
Mary has been the best boss I could have asked for and gave me the freedom I needed to be the best version of myself.
Perhaps what I enjoyed most were the interactions I had with those throughout the community. Rush Springs head football coach Tim Beard, Rush Springs head baseball and softball coach Josh Ingram, Lesa Foster of the American Cancer Society, Nyli Brown of Mustang High School, Macy McAdoo of the University of Oklahoma softball team, Michelle Miller of Miller Farms, and local business owner Christa Porter, were all incredible to talk to and made my job easier by providing incredible stories and quotes. This internship has allowed me to grow closer to my community, and for that, I am grateful.
Apart from the articles, what I am most proud of are the latest additions to the newspaper.
When I first started my job, my goal was to give the Rush Springs Gazette an online and social media presence.
Before my internship began, there was not a website for the newspaper. So, I created, designed, and operated the website (www.rushspringsgazette.com), which as of this writing, has 4,443 viewers and counting, more than double the population of our small town.
There were also no social media pages before I began. In the meantime, I have created and operated three pages that include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. In less than two months, we have cultivated a solid Facebook community with more than 600 followers, thus far.
These additions helped usher the newspaper into the 21st century and grow its reach by increasing viewership and brand awareness.
This summer has been one that I will cherish and never forget. Serving the local community, growing relationships, creating newsworthy content, and gaining valuable experience were what made this internship so worthwhile.
I would once again like to thank Mary Hill of the Rush Springs Gazette and the Oklahoma Press Association for the opportunity. I am also thankful for everyone who supported my work through the views, follows, likes, shares, and words of encouragement. They meant the world to me, and I am truly appreciative.
Kyle Foster's Writing 