Author: Casey Mann | Major: Journalism and Political Science | Semester: Summer 2025

Recording voiceovers in the EWTN sound booth – one of my favorite parts of the creation process.

The first time I found myself in front of the most famous church in the world, St. Peter’s Basilica, I made sure to take a thousand pictures. I was in awe of the architecture, history, and cultural significance. I never wanted to forget that feeling. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I would spend the next 2 and a half months walking by that Basilica every single day, and it would soon become the backdrop to my work in the Eternal City. This summer, I had the opportunity to spend 10 weeks in Rome, studying intercultural and international communication. While abroad, I also completed an internship at the Eternal Word Television Network Vatican Bureau. At EWTN, I worked as a news intern, crafting original reporting and contributing to several internationally broadcast pieces. EWTN operates at the intersection of hard journalism, religious dialogue, and intercultural communication. I chose this internship because I was searching for practical journalism experience that would push me out of my comfort zone. I spent countless hours at the editing desks, recorded voiceovers in the sound booth, adjusted scripts until they were perfect, and learned to anchor under the hot Roman sun. While honing these journalistic skills, I grew professionally, personally, and culturally in ways I never could have imagined. Before this experience, I had never even left the United States, so this study-abroad opportunity opened me up to a whole new world of possibilities. I also had very little knowledge of the Catholic faith before my internship. Working at a faith-based organization as a secular person presented me with immense learning opportunities and a chance to grow my cultural understanding. Now, I feel as though I’m walking away as a more capable, open, and well-rounded journalist and person. The primary focus of my internship was to create a news package, start to finish. I pitched, scripted, shot, voiced, and edited a piece on the Jubilee for Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers, which aired on EWTN’s “Vaticano” program and News Nightly. The segment was translated into several languages and broadcast globally. Beyond my own segment, I spent time shadowing EWTN’s editorial team, where I honed my skills in both news and documentary style editing. During this experience, I had the chance to edit a package written by another journalist that gave audiences a look into the Vatican Museums. I still remember the footage – the click of the keys opening doors to sacred rooms, the footsteps echoing off marble floors, and the gorgeous paintings lining the walls. That segment also aired on EWTN News Nightly. During my final days in Rome, I joined 41 other journalists from over 23 different countries at EWTN Summer Academy. With a group of six other students, I worked to create a news package about the influence of soon-to-be canonized young saints. This final project allowed me to reflect on how far I’d come as a journalist in just one summer.My international internship experience allowed me to gain the necessary skills for navigating language barriers, and these challenges provided me with one of the most important skills I gained this summer: adaptability. While preparing for one of my interviews, I was told it would be in English, but when I arrived, I was informed my interviewee preferred to speak Spanish. I don’t speak Spanish, but I believe any interview is best when the interviewee is as comfortable as possible, so I conducted a spontaneous bilingual interview. I asked questions in English, and he answered in Spanish. It was imperfect, and at times confusing, but I translated the interview and pulled some amazing quotes. In the end, I was grateful for the obstacle. This internship taught me hard journalistic skills, but it also taught me how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. It gave me a global perspective, and it got me into rooms and cities I never thought I’d see. The classes I took at the beginning of the summer truly prepared me for my international work experience. Understanding intercultural communication theory enabled me to examine the communication structures and strategies of the office where I interned more effectively. I was able to navigate cultural misunderstandings at a level I would not have been capable of without the knowledge I gained in class. I believe intercultural communication courses are useful to students of every discipline, and allow us all to move about the world in a more curious, respectful, and productive manner. Studying and working abroad isn’t easy, but I would recommend it to any student looking to challenge themselves and grow as a person. It sounds cliché, but you really will feel like a different person by the end of your program, and you’ll likely wish you could do it all over again. I know I do