In an exciting move that will be a boon for future Cavalier Daily staffers, the Cavalier Daily Alumni Association and the Virginia Press Association recently cemented plans for a paid summer internship at VPA newspapers beginning next year.

With a phenomenal fund-raising effort, the CDAA established an endowment of more than $40,000 to pay for one CD staffer each year to spend a summer at one of the VPA’s many Virginia papers.

"A long-term goal had always been the creation of an endowment that would provide at least one guaranteed internship," said Greg Trevor, CDAA vice president and scholarship committee chairman.

As the endowment swelled toward its target this spring, the CDAA contacted the VPA, which has offered several internships for almost 10 years. "The VPA had an existing program, a mechanism for selecting interns and the credibility of a long-standing program," Trevor said.

With such experience and with member papers including The Washington Post and The Virginian Pilot, as well as hundreds of smaller papers, the VPA can offer Cavalier Daily staffers an outstanding educational experience in the professional world. And staffers will bring that experience back to the CD.

"The VPA is excited to partner with the CDAA, and I’ve been quite heartened by how quickly the money for this endowment was raised," said Ginger Stanley, executive director of the VPA.

While many professional papers have internship partnerships with college journalism departments, Stanley said the CDAA-VPA internship is the first with a newspaper alumni association.

With so many qualified students looking for such opportunities, the Cavalier Daily Managing Board is excited about the internship.

"I think it’s a great partnership, and it’s a great thing for our staff," said Managing Editor Emily Kane.

Although the specifics of the internship have yet to be worked out, the CDAA plans to work with the VPA’s education committee to set up a selection process involving both groups. Kane hopes the managing board can participate in the process as well.

"We’d love to give recommendations because we have a close relationship with the people applying," she said.

Current VPA internships are 10 weeks long and pay a salary of $250 a week, although Trevor feels the CDAA may be able to offer more. As for the future, Trevor would like to see more internships.