Student Profiles

NBC Internship Feeds Student’s Passion

Venuza Laveaux '09 with Ann Curry of
NBC's Dateline “My internship at NBC’s Dateline was one of the most phenomenal experiences of my college career,” says Venuza Laveaux ’09 (journalism), who has wanted to be a television reporter since childhood and was supported in this effort with a Bacherman Internship Fellowship. “My days included a lot of logging and research, but what took place in between my daily routine made the time so unforgettable.”

Laveaux was on the job in New York when political analyst Tim Russert died, an untimely and tragic event that cast a pall over the entire NBC family. “It was an emotional and chaotic day. I did as much as I could to help, while so many were trying to deal with the loss of a journalist they had come to love and trust. It was quite the experience, but under these very unfortunate circumstances.”

A few weeks later, Laveaux met Hoda Kotb, host of the fourth hour of the Today Show, alongside Kathy Lee Gifford. “Besides being interested in my internship progression and plans for my career, she gave me a lot of hope and advice,” says Laveaux. “And she invited me to the studio to watch her do the Today Show. It was amazing to see the teamwork and effort put forth for this one production.”

Meeting Ann Curry, though, was the highlight, says Laveaux. “I told her about my desire to be a reporter and she asked me to come to her hair and make-up session before she taped a Dateline. I jumped at the opportunity to go to her dressing room, and to my surprise, she had her make-up artist and hair stylist work on me too! Then she coached me through a Dateline standup and suggested that I add it to my resume tape. I was so nervous, but I made it through—everyone was so nice and patient. Ann is so passionate about her job and I am so grateful that she gave me an opportunity that many of the other interns didn’t have.”

Laveaux worked with a “most brilliant producer,” Kate Hampson. “She’s a great writer and storyteller. I was her assistant producer throughout the summer when we worked on a story for the American Heart Association. The piece, “Untold Stories of the Heart,” is about women and heart disease, and intends to draw awareness to women of all ages about the disease’s risk factors. It’s really educational, and I was honored to have worked on it extensively. It aired in September.”

After such an outstanding summer, becoming a reporter/anchor and having her own show remain Laveaux’s dream. “I want to push myself to be the best—and I intend to go after my goal. Since I'm graduating in February, I am now job searching and waiting to hear back from a few places. I've learned that an important characteristic is to have patience, so I'm not rushing my career.  I'm very open to learning and diversification, so that when that dream job comes along I'll be ready for it. My short term goal is to get a job in the field of television. My long term goal remains what it has always been. One day you’ll turn on your TV and see me on the screen—and I’ll make you proud that I’m a UMass Amherst alum.”

December 24, 2008