Say hello to The Rapidian's latest interns

Our latest group of interns is here, ready to bring you tons of great information all summer long. Be sure to say hello to them if you see them out and around Grand Rapids. They sat down to interview each other and this is what they had to say.

Briana Ulrich is a senior at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and is double majoring in English and Writing. Her involvement with the Grand Rapids community makes her an asset to the Rapidian team. Ulrich’s dedication and passion for the community can be seen through her favorite local activities including numerous festivals, Blues on the Mall and Griffins hockey. Her recommendations for those visiting the area include a trip to the zoo and the local museums as well as seeing a show at the Civic Theater. Ulrich stated that she is excited to become a contributor of content for The Rapidian.

“I’m most excited to hear the stories of people living in the community. It’s these people that contribute to what community is,” Ulrich said. Ulrich expressed interest in writing about what she already knows about the community and her openness to learning new things about the Grand Rapids area.

“There is more to Grand Rapids than what meets the eye. It’s the hidden things that make it exciting,” Ulrich said.

Nic Stukkie is a Senior English major at GVSU. He has dabbled in several different minors including theatre, psychology and journalism. Ultimately, he settled on writing as his minor. He is excited to have this opportunity to work at the Rapidian.

"I have lived in Grand Rapids my whole life," he said, adding, "I was born downtown." One of his favorite things about Grand Rapids is the number of theaters located in the city, including the Dog Story Theater, which regularly plays Shakespeare. Outside of writing, Stukkie enjoys theater, fencing, archery and having the last word. One recommendation he has for someone visiting Grand Rapids in the summer is to check out Hispanic Festival. If he ever leaves the city for good, his ideal destination would be London, England.

Elizabeth Studt is The Rapidian’s new innovation community reporting intern. She is a senior attending GVSU, about to finish her degree in public relations and writing. As a child, Studt grew up in the small town of Lake Odessa where she learned to love the city of Grand Rapids through one of her many school field trips.

“I loved coming into the city to go the museum when I was younger; everything seemed so huge,” Studt said. Now that she is older, Studt enjoys walking along the bridges downtown and especially likes exploring the boardwalk that runs along the river. When she is not reporting, Studt enjoys dancing ballet and is also apart of the Grand Valley Dance Troupe.

Ryan Yuenger is a sixth year student at GVSU and is a writing major, with a double major in both professional and creative writing. He chose to apply for the Rapidian internship under the advice of GVSU writing professor Charles Lowe. As far as the city of Grand Rapids goes, Yuenger finds himself drawn to the many music venues the city has to offer, particularly the Intersection and Founders. He is most certainly looking forward to Founder’s Fest.

Yuenger hopes to cover as much musically related things as possible, whether it's album reviews or live events. Yuenger expressed an interest in the art scene and said it was “something he wanted to get into.” 

Jonathan Stoner is a visual content intern for The Rapidian. Stoner got involved because he "knew it would give me the opportunity to meet and take photographs of fascinating people in Grand Rapids that I wouldn't otherwise have the chance to meet." Stoner is a professional photographer, but will challenge himself by writing articles in addition to taking photographs.

"I am drawn to interviewing and writing stories about thoughtful people who are actually doing meaningful, lasting things with their lives to impact the people and the world around them for the better," Stoner said.