Jaala Brown’s Developing Story: From Communication Student to NBC Nightly News Intern

Jaala Brown NBC InternJaala Brown, BA Communication ‘23, knew by the end of high school that she wanted to pursue a career in the media industry. Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, Jaala chose George Mason University for its diverse community and proximity to Washington D.C., which offered endless opportunities for internships and networking.

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic proved challenging, Jaala took advantage of the virtual landscape to follow her passion and landed internship after internship so she could gain real-world experience and graduate career-ready. “The pandemic worked to my benefit; a lot of the internships that would have been geographically impossible became virtual allowing students like myself to take advantage of these opportunities,” she said. Her first internship was working as a social media intern for Camp Joy Loves You, followed by a production intern for CNN.

At the start of her senior year, Jaala secured an internship as a News Special Reports Intern with NBC News. Jaala was excited to work on breaking news, “My first week on the job, Queen Elizabeth II passed away and then Hurricane Ian swept through. My internship wrapped up with the mid-term elections and it was non-stop. Long hours and a lot of work but I wouldn’t have it any other way, I loved every moment of it.” This internship prepared Jaala for her biggest break yet.

Jaala Brown with Lester HoltHer current - and first in-person - internship, is at NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt in the Washington, D.C. office. She works mainly with the weekend team, pulling research, reviewing scripts, and pitching stories. Jaala's ultimate dream job is to become an executive producer of a news show.

Mason's Career Services and professors played a significant role in helping Jaala tailor her resume and prepare for interviews. Professor Barbara Burfeind spent an entire class reviewing and tailoring every student's resume, offering Jaala immeasurable support and guidance.

Jaala’s advice to incoming students is to, “Get involved, get involved, get involved. The more involved you are, the more connections you make. Find clubs and activities, be open to going to Career Services and asking your professors for help, and definitely get internships. Make the most of your time while you are here.”