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SUNY Potsdam Student Joins North Country Public Radio Staff for Korva Coleman Journalism Internship

Honorarium Funds New Internship for SUNY Potsdam Students of Color at NCPR

by Bret Yager

Potsdam, NY (09/02/2020) — Alexandra Rivera '22 felt the potential of storytelling when she visited family in Puerto Rico soon after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and interviewed local residents about the devastation. This week, Rivera began a journalism internship with North Country Public Radio, adding a new layer to her experience as editor-in-chief of SUNY Potsdam's student-run newspaper, The Racquette.

Rivera -- an English and environmental studies major from Nyack, N.Y. -- is the first Korva Coleman Intern. SUNY Potsdam welcomed National Public Radio newscaster Korva Coleman to campus last fall to speak to journalism students and give a talk for the public. Coleman requested that her honorarium for visiting campus be used to fund a paid NCPR internship for a student of color.

"When I met Korva last year as she was preparing to give a talk on campus, I was immediately starstruck and she helped me get excited about my future career as a reporter," Rivera said. "I also can't wait to work with the news team at NCPR. They do amazing work around the North Country area and I am so lucky to begin to be part of that work."

North County Public Radio has equipped Rivera with a laptop, recorder and headphones. Like most media staff, she will work remotely due to COVID-19 safety measures.

"We're thrilled to partner with SUNY Potsdam to help train the next generation of journalists to seek out the truth and report it. We've already seen that Alexandra Rivera brings a fire, passion, and intellectual curiosity that Korva Coleman would be proud of," said David Sommerstein, news director at NCPR.

SUNY Potsdam's Department of English and Communication challenges its students to complete a core of courses that explore the varied ways people speak, write and read. The department offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Arts programs in literature, writing, professional writing, creative writing, speech communication and English and communication. For more information, visit http://www.potsdam.edu/academics/AAS/Engl.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 3,600 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit http://www.potsdam.edu.

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SUNY Potsdam student Alexandra Rivera, editor-in-chief of the student-run newspaper The Racquette, tests her equipment for the first time as she starts an internship with North Country Public Radio.

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