Too many lessons, too little time

Lessons I got in the four-day Chips Quinn Scholars Program are so beyond a list of bullet points. They range from technical lessons used in the newsroom to some fundamental lessons of life. I will keep the life lessons in my heart forever and share the gist of the other lessons. Listing specific goals before going to the internship, bringing ideas to the newsroom, being enthusiastic and open to criticism, being decisive and aggressive, staying hungry, not being afraid of making mistakes, learning from mistakes, not making the same mistakes twice, embracing any assignments, trying to know different aspects of the city, having a positive attitude and not making assumptions are probably the most important ones. And, of course, the big lesson I got from dear Mr. Quinn -- and I will carry it through my life -- is: Work hard, play hard but always have fun.

-- Farideh Dada (shown with John Quinn), San Jose State University, Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal