Meet our new intern Madeline Tredway

Meet our new intern reporter Madeline Tredway. Madeline applied for the internship through the Dripping Springs High School Conerstone program (see nearby article). She is currently a senior at DSHS and writes for the school newspaper.

During her internship, Tredway will be learning the trade of print journalism by writing articles for the Century News, participating in layout sessions, and attending city council meetings to learn news reporting.

DSHS Cornerstone Coordinator Cindy Reynolds explains how the internship came about, “Madeline proactively made an appointment with me,  in the spring of her junior year,  and we began our conversation about a possible journalism internship with Century News.  Madeline then submitted her resume to me so I could use it to solicit opportunities for her. Over the summer, her counselor and I arranged her schedule so an internship could be feasible, and then I reached out to Mr. Pacheco at the start of her senior year.  He agreed to meet Madeline in my office a few weeks later...and the rest is history!”

Madeline Tredway in her own words:

What initially interested you in a journalism career?

I like writing, but I like writing about non-fiction things—things that are relevant, and I think that’s the definition of journalism. Some of it can be investigative. 

How long have you written for the DSHS newspaper?

Two years. To join the staff, I had to be interviewed by two student editors. They wanted to make sure I was responsible enough to keep deadlines and that my writing was up to standards.

Was there a particular moment when decided to pursue journalism?

Yes, my mother has two books by Humans in New York. Basically this guy goes around New York City and interviews people. I’ve read them and liked the way the interviews were written. So in my Journalism 1 class, I interviewed a high school teacher, Ms. Watts who teaches aquatic science and advanced placement environmental science. She has an interesting background and also struggled with dyslexia. The story was put in our high school yearbook and it received recognition from the national press association. I think everyone likes validation. 

I enjoy writing, but for me writing fiction can seem empty. But with journalism, there’s always something around you that you can write about. Everything means something. A small item on a city council meeting can be very important to someone.

What do you hope to learn from your Century News internship?

I hope to learn more about the profession than I have from my student work. I think there’s so much more to learn about the industry, writing in a different way, more practical and direct writing with no flourish.

I look forward to college, but don’t know if journalism will be my chosen major. I’ve also considered becoming a lawyer like my father, and learning more about the way government works, especially on a more local scale.

Madeline Tredway is considering applying to St. Edwards in Austin, Wake Forest in North Carolina, or the University of Minnesota. She currently works part time at Tomlinson’s Feed Store.