Courtney Ramsdell ’08 Interns at Good Morning America and Women’s Day Magazine

Courtney Ramsdell ’08 (Berwyn, Pa.) has a busy summer ahead of her.

Ramsdell, an American studies major, is an intern at both Good Morning America and Women’s Day magazine in New York City. She works three days a week at ABC’s Good Morning America and two days a week at Women’s Day. Ramsdell’s internship experience is being supported by the Class of 1974 and the Class of 2007 internship endowment funds.

At Good Morning America, Ramsdell works with the weekend edition of the show. She researches potential stories and keeps up with the news, getting to know which type of news articles the show produces.

“There is freedom to participate in any aspect of the show,” she explains. “As an intern, I am able to pitch potential stories and participate in the production of the show. I have attended production meetings and helped producers review tapes of previous shows.”

Ramsdell also experience the perks of working with a program such as Good Morning America.

“Each Friday, the show has a summer concert series,” she says. “So, I get to go to a bunch of concerts this summer while I’m at work. I have also learned to become accustomed to seeing celebrities, such as the Good Morning America hosts, Victoria Beckham, Emeril Lagasse, and Robin Thicke. It’s actually been a really cool part of being here.”

At Women’s Day magazine, Ramsdell has many jobs. She has been able to attend and experience a variety of components that go into putting together a magazine, such as product promotions, photo shoots, story interviews, and editorial meetings. She also has ordered items and products for the magazine.

“Interning with Women’s Day came from my general interest in women’s fashion and beauty, along with my passion to write creative and fun articles for women,” says Ramsdell. “I believe Good Morning America is also an important experience in order to see another side of journalism. It runs at a faster pace than a monthly magazine and covers a variety of world news topics, while also producing the same creative and fun segments as a magazine. It’s a nice balance between covering the war, health, and Hollywood.”

While two internships could prove to be overwhelming, Ramsdell is taking it in stride and learning everything she can from this experience.

“I have learned a lot about the world since being at Good Morning America and by keeping up with the news,” she says. “Being able to hear the world’s news when it first hits the wires and then seeing which stories will make it on the show at the end of the day has been really exciting.”

“From attending editorial meetings, promotions, and photo shoots at Women’s Day, I can truly appreciate the hard work that goes into putting together a story,” she says “The necessary research that is required for a new product, along with investigating in the field, has been a fun way to actively get involved with my work. I have also learned the importance of appealing to your target audience. Keeping up with fashion and health news has also been an important part of the internship so far.”

Ramsdell has learned quite a bit in a short time and expects to continue building her knowledge.

“Whether it is learning how to write news stories or learning how to manage on my own in New York City, I hope to walk away with a pretty good idea as to what I would like or not like to pursue post-graduation,” she says.

Ramsdell believes her time at Lafayette helped prepare her for her internships.

“I know how to write and I know how important supporting research is,” she explains. “Lafayette has also given me the comfort of speaking up in a meeting or group. Being a student at a liberal arts college such as Lafayette allows opportunities to share ideas and ask questions, which is something that I’ve carried into my internships this summer.”

Ramsdell is a member of the Lafayette and works the annual student phonathon. She also is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.