Armed with a degree in mass communication with a concentration in journalism and a wealth of hands-on experience, Santana is ready to make his mark in the fast-paced and dynamic field of broadcast journalism.

鈥淚 am super grateful for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and the journey I鈥檝e gone through,鈥� Santana said. 鈥淐oming here was the best decision I made in my academic career. I can鈥檛 wait to see where my career takes me.鈥�

As he prepares to take the next step in his career, Santana reflected on the inspiration and skills he has learned through three internships. He spent two summers interning with the Dumas Clarion newspaper through the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation鈥檚 Summer Internship Program. His internship was specially sponsored by donations from the Arkansas Press Women, the Dumas Chamber of Commerce, Dumas Economic Development, and Merchants & Farmers Bank of Dumas in memory of Charlotte Tillar Schexnayder, who owned and published The Dumas Clarion for 44 years with her husband Melvin.

鈥淭he Dumas Clarion built my journalism knowledge, and they created a stepping stone for me to enter the journalism field, and I will forever be grateful for them,鈥� Santana said. 鈥淚 learned how to find local news, how to network, and how to attend press conferences. The last two summers went very well. I learned everything I needed to learn as a young journalist.鈥�

During the fall 2023 semester, Santana had the opportunity to intern at KATV, where he worked with Brenda Lepenski and decided that he wanted to work in broadcast journalism.

鈥淚t was a really exciting internship. I learned how the everyday life of a broadcast journalist works,鈥� he said. 鈥淭ime management is really important. Brenda taught me a lot and gave me so much great advice. I鈥檓 very excited about going into broadcasting.

Now that his college career is coming to an end, Santana expressed gratitude to Linna Jones and Rick Wright from the Dumas Clarion, as well as Professors Tim Edwards, Jamie Byrne McCollum, Kiel Thorlton, and Sonny Rhodes from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 School of Mass Communication for helping him build his skills as a journalist.

At 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Santana also serves as a reporter and photographer for the student newspaper, the Forum, as well as co-vice president and social media chair for the Hispanic/Latinx Initiative. He was recently inducted into the Kappa Tau Alpha honor society, where he received the Top Scholar Award for having the highest GPA of a graduating student.

For other students who are thinking about going to college, Santana鈥檚 advice for them is to get involved in campus life.

鈥淭his is what I learned during my first year of college when I was really stuck at my dorm,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 feel like college is about more than just receiving a degree. You need to make friends, network, participate in student organizations, and connect with people who will help you in your journey.鈥�

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Santana, a senior mass communication major, was selected for the 鈥檚 Summer Internship Program. The Arkansas Newspaper Foundation supports Arkansas newspapers by helping fund summer interns at Arkansas Press Association member newspapers across the state. The paid internship is designed to help aspiring college-age journalists get started in their newspaper careers.

鈥淎s an aspiring journalist who wants to become a reporter, I am glad I got experience in every field of journalism,鈥� Santana said. 鈥淲orking for my hometown newspaper helped me figure out how to find local news. It taught me the rules of journalism and helped me build my resume.鈥�

During the fall semester, Santana completed an internship at KATV and credits landing the internship to the experience he received at the Dumas Clarion.

Santana鈥檚 internship was specially sponsored by donations from the Arkansas Press Women, the Dumas Chamber of Commerce, Dumas Economic Development, and Merchants & Farmers Bank of Dumas in memory of Charlotte Tillar Schexnayder. Melvin and Charlotte Schexnayder owned and published The Dumas Clarion for 44 years. Schexnayder, who passed away in 2020, was one of the first members and a former president of Arkansas Press Women and the first female president of the Dumas Chamber of Commerce, among many other honors, making her a powerful role model for future journalists in Arkansas.

Over the summer, Santana worked with Dumas Clarion Publisher Linna Jones and covered city meetings and events. He cites his favorite stories of the summer as those involving his high school classmates. He wrote a feature story about Maria Lopez, who has returned to Dumas to become the parent center coordinator and middle school band director, as well as an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony for a new business, Raye Haven Salon that is located at the site of a once vacant Bumper to Bumper shop.

鈥淭his summer I felt like an official reporter,鈥� Santana said. 鈥淚 had more responsibility and learned time management skills. This internship has already helped my career and will continue to do so in the future.鈥�

At 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Santana also serves as a reporter for the student newspaper, the Forum, as well as co-vice president and social media chair for the Hispanic/Latinx Initiative, all while running his part-time photography business. He will graduate in May with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in mass communication with a concentration in journalism.

For other students who are considering completing a summer newspaper internship, Santana advised them to take chances and ask plenty of questions.

鈥淧ut yourself out there and don鈥檛 be scared to make mistakes because you will learn from them,鈥� Santana said. 鈥淚n this industry, you have to network. For students who are taking an internship, don鈥檛 just ask questions. Make sure that you make an impression.鈥�

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