Ranney Students Prepare for Real World With Internships

New Media Internships at Ranney School

For most, Ranney’s January 6, 2011 Alumni Luncheon allowed for interaction with alumni through panel discussions and served as a very informative experience. For three Ranney School students, however, the day served a different kind of purpose.

In order to better capture the detailed testimonials of alumni at the event, three Ranney School students, Joseph Walker ’11, Donald Toresco ’12 and Sydney Shapiro ’11, worked as video production assistants in coordination with Ranney’s own Director of Publications and Multimedia, Kristin Geisler. While listening in on panel discussions, one-on-one interviews and classroom visits that touched on building relationships with peers and teachers and being a Ranney Lifer, video production assistants also shot B-roll of alumni as they spoke. All raw video footage taken from the Alumni event will eventually be edited by Upper School teacher Dan Moller and his Digital Media class.

Although the first Upper School students ever to work alongside Ranney’s Communications Department, Joseph, Donald and Sydney will certainly not be the last. Currently in the works is a Media Internship Program that will not only help students develop technological skills required in a 21st century environment, but will also provide opportunities to work beyond the walls of a classroom. According to Kristin Geisler, the program serves as “an academic tool of engagement, providing opportunities to work on ‘real world’ projects.”

While the new internship program will broaden students’ experiences in the world of digital media and communications, Ranney Upper School students also have the opportunity to participate in a summer internship program in the fields of medicine, law, business and more. For more information, click here.

Student Vincent Morano Acquires Internship at Twin Lights Historical Society

Aside from achieving academic and athletic success, freshman Vincent Morano has literally made history!

Conducting research for a summer history project, Vincent came across a website for the Twin Lights Historical Society. The lighthouse known as Twin Lights has aided in maritime navigation over the coastal waters of New Jersey since 1828. In 1956, the Twin Lights Historical Society was founded as a means of providing centers for interpretation and education related to lighthouse, maritime, navigational and communications history. A student fascinated with both science and history, Vincent contacted the Historical Society in hopes of receiving an internship/volunteer opportunity.

Beginning in September of 2010, Vincent began working directly under Curator Margaret Carlsen, for whom he not only organizes collections and catalogues, but also conducts historical research. “One of the things I find most interesting is working with and handling actual artifacts,” said Vincent. “Also, the location of the museum itself is inspiring if one considers that Marconi sent some of his first radio signals from that point of origin.”

A superb student and member of the Academic Team at Ranney, Vincent received a silver and bronze medal at the 2009 Science Olympiad competition and is an active member in the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Program, where he received an SAT achievement award in October 2010. Also an exceptional athlete, Vincent runs Varsity Cross Country and Track, and received a “Blue & White Award” from the Middle School Athletic Program in the spring of 2010. Each spring, this award is presented to male and female student-athletes who demonstrate sportsmanship, leadership, self-discipline, cooperation and enthusiasm throughout their Middle School careers.

While, for now, Vincent looks to continue his internship with the Twin Lights Historical Society, he has a very bright future ahead of him and hopes to someday work with NASA. Ranney applauds him for taking the educational initiative to learn more on a subject he is very passionate about and hopes he will be just as persistent in acquiring success in future endeavors.