VOA journalist Kathleen Struck and the team of VOA blog Student Union -- an online community for international students in the U.S. and those who want to study here – has received this semester’s highest honor for their teamwork and mentorship from The Washington Center.
Three VOA SU interns nominated Editor Kathleen Struck for fostering confidence, motivation, accomplishment and fun during their internship.
Kathleen “is always pushing us to do more, do better, and improve each and every day,” wrote Emerson College student Rebecca Hankins (Emerson ’17). “I am excited to continue to work for her virtually once I go back to Boston and to keep this professional and personal friendship.”
Student Union interns were the engine behind the newly launched website. They reported, wrote, created content and promoted SU on social media. It is not an exaggeration to say the website would not have experienced the same growth without their contributions.
Struck is a seasoned journalist who has worked on local, national and international news. She started a website in 1999, when the Internet was nascent, and worked for some of the best-known news products in the industry.
“My interns are the future of journalism. If I don’t do a good job preparing and mentoring them, I will only have myself to blame for shoddy journalism later on,” Struck said. “They are the high point of my workday.”
Student Union offers international and American students a platform to tell their stories and give their best advice about everything from college applications to making friends to passing final exams.
