A Lethbridge College student will be learning the ropes in two of Canada’s major market media centres as the recipient of this year’s Troy Reeb Internship.
Nicholas Rabl, a first-year Digital Communications and Media (DCM) student, was selected for the internship based on a story proposal he submitted, detailing the racially biased treatment Indigenous people often face in off-reserve settings.
“I wrote about something that matters to me and I was happy with it. Everything that has happened since then, being named a finalist and now the winner, is a bonus,” says Rabl. “It’s an incredible honour to be selected for this internship and I’m excited to soak in as much as I can.”
The internship, now in its 17th year, is sponsored by Reeb, the Executive Vice President, Broadcast Networks for Corus Entertainment. Reeb’s long-standing connection to Lethbridge College began when he was a student in the Broadcast Journalism program. Since graduating in 1988, he has been named a Distinguished Alumni (2003) and received an honorary degree (2019).
“Nick is a bright, mature and humble young man who impressed all the judges with his humility, writing ability and knack for getting interview subjects to share their experiences on a sensitive topic,” says Reeb. “He is an outstanding candidate for this year’s internship and we look forward to introducing him to the highest levels of Canadian media.”
While last year’s recipient was awarded a three-month paid internship with Global Lethbridge due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, it’s returning to a more traditional delivery this year. Rabl will take an all-expenses-paid trip to Toronto and Ottawa where he will spend 10 days getting hands-on experience with Global’s online news platforms, television and radio stations. He’ll also work on Parliament Hill with the Ottawa bureau of Global National.
“Nicholas established himself as a strong student in the early days of the academic year and never backed off,” says Pete Gingras, DCM instructor. “He has a strong news sense, is humble and likeable, and he put an incredible amount of work into his Troy Reeb Internship proposal. I have no doubt he'll equal or exceed that effort during his time in Toronto and Ottawa.”
Rabl, who’s from Lethbridge, enrolled in the college’s DCM program as a mature student after spending six years working at a local funeral home. He chose the journalism path because he enjoys getting to know people and hearing – and retelling – their stories. As a first-year student, he’s not entirely sure which medium he’ll pursue after graduation but he enjoys writing for print and online. “I feel like I have the best opportunity to express myself and the stories I’m telling that way, but wherever I get an opportunity, I will be happy to take it.”
More information on the Digital Communications and Media program is available on the Lethbridge College website.