Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Amethyst Martinez will intern at 'Barron’s' before attending Columbia University in the fall
by Tatiana Sciancalepore
Senior journalism major Amethyst Martinez has once again landed the highly sought-after Dow Jones News Fund (DJNF) Internship, marking the first time a Rider student has secured the position two years in a row.
She will begin her internship at Barron's in New York City just one week after Commencement, before attending Columbia University to pursue her master's in the fall.
“I’m so incredibly thankful,” she says. “I came to Rider four years ago and I didn’t even like school that much, and now I’m going to Columbia and doing all these incredible internships. I don’t think I would have gotten the same experience at a larger school.”
Each year, the Dow Jones News Fund selects a limited number of college students nationwide for paid internships at major news organizations. Last year, the opportunity led to Martinez interning with the Austin American-Statesman, the leading daily paper in Austin, Texas.
“It was phenomenal,” she remarks. “I’m a completely different person than I was before I went down there. I especially loved being able to cover things that were important to me, like Austin Pride.”
As a sister publication to The Wall Street Journal, Barron's is renowned for its comprehensive coverage of U.S. financial markets. With previous internships at NJ.com and The Star-Ledger, Martinez is well-prepared for the demands of such a prestigious newsroom, and embraces the transition into the realms of business and finance as a prime opportunity for growth.
“I’m ready to be pushed to my absolute limit,” she says. “I applied for the business internship because I wanted to be able to read financial paperwork and understand what I was reading. It’s going to be a totally different style than I’m used to, and I’m excited for that.”
There’s just no way I would’ve been able to do any of the things I've done without Rider."
Immediately following her time at Barron's, Martinez heads to Columbia University to pursue a master’s in data journalism, stating, “At the end of the day, I just want to know everything journalism-related, and I will stop at nothing until I do.”
Originally stumbling upon journalism as a means of exploring her love of writing, Martinez wasn't always the ambitious journalist she is today. “I was shy and scared when I came to Rider. And I never had a leadership position in my life,” she admits.
She took a leap of faith her freshman year when she joined The Rider News, the University's student-run newspaper, as a photographer and writer. Advancing swiftly, she became features and entertainment editor in her sophomore year, followed by managing editor in her junior year. However, it was in her senior year that she truly flourished, assuming the position of executive editor, a role she embraced with enthusiasm.
“Being executive editor of The Rider News has been the biggest honor,” she says.
As she prepares to bid farewell to Rider and embark on her next chapter, Martinez remains grateful for the opportunities that have shaped her journey. “Rider changed my life," she says. "The journalism professors here have changed my life. There’s just no way I would’ve been able to do any of the things I've done without Rider.”