“When I read about the Nancy Barbosa Internship Program, it was something that intrigued me immediately. Being a Latino student, the program seemed like a perfect fit for me and my career path,” said Xavier Pazmino, a rising SC&I senior who was recently named by Travelzoo as a 2023 recipient of their Nancy Barbosa Internship Program.

Travelzoo, an online travel organization with a mission to “provide its 30 million members exclusive offers and one-of-a-kind experiences personally reviewed by our deal experts around the globe,” wrote on their website that the company created the Nancy Barbosa Internship Program in honor of the late Nancy Barbosa, their Head of Human Resources, North America, who passed away from cancer.

Barbosa was a proud Rutgers alumna, and as a Hispanic professional, she was passionate about increasing opportunities for those in historically marginalized communities, Travelzoo wrote. 

Pazmino, who is majoring in Journalism and Media Studies major and minoring in Digital Communications, Information, and Media (DCIM), said his eventual career goal is to land a job in the sports media industry. 

“The thing that I like most about this internship program is its ability to provide me with an opportunity that is slightly out of my realm. I am happy that I am going to be using the writing skills I have developed in the last four years to work in a marketing department,” said Pazmino. 

He plans to leverage this internship as a means to develop his writing and critical thinking skills. “My main goal is to learn what it means to work in a serious, well-organized work environment,” says Pazmino. “This is my first internship, and I am excited to be entering a work environment that will be welcoming and provide me with the resources needed to further advance my career.” 

The internship is hybrid, requiring no more than one day per week in Travelzoo’s office, located at 590 Madison Avenue in midtown New York City. During the internship, Travelzoo will host on-site events to provide valuable learning, networking, and mentorship opportunities for its interns.

After his initial application, Pazmino went through three rounds of interviews before landing the internship. “Being prepared for the interviews and brushing up on my interview skills was vital to securing the internship,” he says. 

Pazmino learned of this opportunity through emails sent by SC&I Professor of Practice in Journalism and Media Studies Steve Miller, who is also the director of JMS Undergraduate Studies Program. Miller frequently emails SC&I students with a variety of emerging opportunities. 

The internship will be 15-20 hours per week, spanning the duration of the Fall 2023 semester, in compliance with Rutgers’ three-credit internship format. Pazmino will be awarded a grant upon the successful completion of the internship.

“I have nothing but praise [for] and a high opinion of Professor Steven Miller,” said Pazmino. “If it were not for him and his personal dedication to all journalism students, I would not be where I am right now.”

Pazmino offers a piece of advice to freshmen just starting out their college careers: “Start off strong and [do] not let outside factors affect the way you dedicate yourself to the vision you have.”

Discover more about the Journalism and Media Studies Department at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website.