Daniel Barbero has a media internship for PWSC

by Vicki Heisser  |   

PWSC Social Media Coordinator Jessica Young is collaborating with outdoor leadership student Daniel Barbero on an internship

PWSC Hi, Jessica and Daniel. Thanks for getting together and sharing with me about the upcoming internship that you are collaborating on. How did this come together?

Jessica It came together because I was really interested in collaborating with Daniel. I've seen his work on his own social media accounts, and he's a very talented photographer. He's also just a natural with social media and Instagram and capturing strong shots, cultivating an audience, and creating posts that are engaging.

I thought it'd be great to collaborate with a student. Having a student who is in the classroom who can capture shots and share. It's a really neat opportunity for other people to see through a student's eyes what the classroom is like or what the outdoor classes are like.

PWSC That's fantastic. So, Daniel, what do you hope to gain out of this?

Daniel So I'm really looking forward to being able to enhance my photography skills because, since I moved here to Alaska, it's one of the reasons that made me stay here.

And since I'm taking this class for outdoor leadership, it's a great opportunity for me to be out there at the same time. Now that I have this internship, I think it's just pretty exciting for me.

I want to learn everything, like how Jessica handles the social media and editing at the same time, stuff like that.

PWSC That’s cool. So you talk about social media and editing. Is there something specific, like is this an Instagram or Facebook thing?

Jessica It's going to evolve. It's going to be both.

PWSC OK, that's excellent. So what are some of the activities that you guys are going to collaborate on? What are some upcoming events that you're going to work on?

Daniel So there are a lot of things going on right now that we've talked about. The first one is capturing the northern lights that would be a good platform for photography and promoting the school. The northern lights are known around the world, and that would be a good image.

Jessica Imagery of the northern lights really symbolize the beauty and the mystery of being in Alaska. We wanted to use an image of the northern lights in our recruitment materials because that's a draw for students. One of the reasons students come all the way up here is to experience Alaska and its beauty. But it is going to be a really tricky shot to get because it depends on the weather and so many other variables.

PWSC Are there some other events?

Jessica There is the Wilderness First Responder class. We are going to photograph the class and then Daniel and I will get pictures up on social media. And then there is the winter camping course. So, he and I will go on the first day of that, hike out with the group, and get some shots hiking. Then depending on Daniel's schedule, there might be the ice festival and ice climbing class.

PWSC That's great. Thanks for taking time to talk with me today. Good luck with everything, and we’ll all be looking for those new social media posts!