When she finally got the news, she started shaking.
When she told her advisor, her advisor jumped up and down.
Jacqueline Karsten, a senior at Minnesota State University, learned recently that she’ll spend next fall in Washington, D.C. in one of the most prestigious internships a geography major can nab: four months at National Geographic. Arguably the biggest name in geography. The magazine that’s almost legendary. Could there possibly be a bigger internship for a geography major?
“I thought it was a prank. National Geographic sent me an e-mail and I thought it was a spam,” Karsten said. “It was one of those ‘I can’t believe it’ type of things.”
Given her record and academic performance, it really isn’t that hard to believe.
Karsten, a 2003 Mankato East graduate, is an honors student who recently was nominated for the 2008 Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. She has used her geography major and art minor to develop expertise in cartography and photography.
While she’s not sure exactly what National Geographic will have her doing, she’s hoping to combine her academic training with her love of education. She hopes to design maps, graphics and curricular materials for National Geographic Society publications and electronic media used by children and schools.
The National Geographic name and idea have been in Karsten’s life since she was a little girl.
“I grew up with the magazine,” she said. “My father is a scientific-minded person. I love animals, too. They always have cool wildlife photography. National Geographic is why I got into photography.”
Her interests, in fact, vary widely — she’s as much into art as she is into science. She says that may be what caught the attention of the internship selection group.
As part of the application process, Karsten had to pen an essay. Before writing that she researched National Geographic to get a better idea what their educational mission was and what they were doing with their cable channel.
Ultimately, she was one of 11 chosen. And her department was impressed.
“Most of them said this is a big deal,” she said.
“This is indeed an honor for Jackie, for the Geography and Art Departments, and for the university,” Geography Department Chair Donald Friend said. “She is only the second such intern from Minnesota State Mankato. We are very proud of her and her accomplishments.”
Added her advisor, Ginger Schmid, “Jackie is one of our most enthusiastic and devoted students ... I know she will do well.”
As for her future, Karsten said she definitely hopes to teach, possibly even become a professor.
But, she says, if the good folks at National Geographic offered her a job when her internship expires, she says she’ll take it.
“At least for a while,” she said.
For more Free Press news go to www.mankatofreepress.com.
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