This year’s recipient of the Herring Internship Scholarship won’t be working in a newsroom, or a radio or television studio. Instead of covering the news, he’ll be on the other side of the reporter’s notebooks helping make it.

Patrick Bernal, a third-year College student and Cavalier Daily life editor, will spend the summer working on Capitol Hill as a communications intern in the office of Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY).

While the internship’s tasks are loosely defined at this point, Bernal believes he will be working closely with the representative’s press secretary performing a variety of news-related tasks.

"This will be a real learning experience," Bernal said. "This summer will give me an idea of what it’s like being out in the real world." Still unsure of his career aspirations, Bernal is leaning toward a position that would combine politics and journalism. He believes this summer will help him define his goals.

Bernal is one of three Cavalier Daily writers who received scholarships from the CDAA this spring. CD opinion editor Masha Herbst and news editor Lauren Shepherd, both second-year College students, each received $500 awards for their planned internships.

"We had a very difficult choice to make because we had several very qualified candidates this year," said Greg Trevor, who heads the CDAA scholarship selection committee. Thus the decision was made to award the $1,000 Herring Scholarship to Bernal and grant additional onetime $500 scholarships to Herbst and Shepherd.

"The committee was universally impressed with the applicants and the internships they had lined up," Trevor added. "It shows how well The Cavalier Daily serves as a training ground for professional journalists."