Cronkite student Mia Osmonbekov wants to work as a foreign correspondent and travel abroad to cover politics.
She took two big steps toward her goal this summer: completing a summer internship in Argentina, and covering the Democratic National Convention in Chicago for Cronkite News in August.
Osmonbekov, a journalism and mass communication major who is also pursuing a minor in Spanish, was one of five Cronkite School students who traveled to Argentina as part of an annual study abroad internship program just for Cronkite School students.
While abroad, students live in Córdoba — Argentina’s second-largest city — and attend the Universidad Blas Pascal while completing a professional media internship. Osmonbekov’s love of the Spanish language and the nine-week length drew her to the program.
“I’ve studied Spanish for six years, so being in Argentina has actually been really enriching as a way to practice and write in Spanish,” she said.
Osmonbekov interned as a writer for La Voz del Interior, a popular daily newspaper in Córdoba, reporting stories in Spanish, including an article on the U.S. presidential election and a comparison of the issues faced by universities in the U.S. and Argentina.
“I think my experience in Argentina crystallized that I do want to do international reporting,” Osmonbekov said. “I do want to be based abroad, and then explore how the U.S. connects with that global community.”
The internship was a fully immersive experience for Osmonbekov that allowed her to practice Spanish in the newsroom, in conversations with locals and while living with a host family.
“I really grew attached to my workplace,” she said. “Everyone is just so friendly and so kind. It was really just this amazing place to be.”
Upon returning from Argentina, Osmonbekov set off for Chicago to cover the DNC forCronkite News.
At the convention, Osmonbekov wrote stories about the Democrats’ changing approach to border policy, their focus on reproductive rights and the media restrictions encountered during the convention.
“This legislation changes people’s lives for better or worse,” she said. “That’s the part of political reporting that really appeals to me…this really crucial information, especially in an election year where we’re picking the people who are going to be making decisions that are going to affect our lives.”
Osmonbekov said the convention helped her grow as a reporter, and prepare for the fall semester: She’ll be reporting just steps from the White House as a student in the Cronkite News Washington, D.C. capstone experience.
“I was so lucky to go with a brilliant group of peers to cover a historic convention and to have this experience as a college student! I also learned a lot about taking initiative and being resourceful as a political reporter while chasing down delegates and quickly coming up with story ideas,” she said. “It definitely made me feel more confident.”