Ten Iowa State students have been selected to participate in the Dotdash Meredith Apprentice Program for the 2022-2023 academic year.
The Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication’s partnership with Dotdash Meredith (formerly Meredith Corp.) places Iowa State students in yearlong apprenticeships at the nation’s largest digital and print publisher.
This year’s assignments include editorial and graphic design apprenticeships with national consumer media brands, including Better Homes & Gardens, Allrecipes, Successful Farming, InStyle, EatingWell, Daily Paws, and Do It Yourself, along with supporting departments, such as Home Testing and Premium Publishing Copy Editing. Most students will work in person out of the company’s Des Moines office, while two will work remotely from Ames with teams based in New York and Vermont.
“Our incoming apprentices come to Dotdash Meredith with extensive campus media and internship experience — even more impressive when you consider so much of their college experience has been during the time of COVID-19,” said Maria Charbonneaux, assistant professor of practice and Dotdash Meredith Professional in Residence. “Not only are they skilled, but they are resilient, adaptable, and passionate about developing careers in content creation. We’re grateful to Dotdash Meredith for continuing to offer this incredible professional opportunity for our students.”
The part-time, paid apprenticeships offer students real-world work experience alongside seasoned professionals who serve audiences through both digital and print platforms. More than 100 Iowa State students have worked as apprentices since the program was established at Iowa State in 2004. Apprenticeships also can be used for Greenlee students’ JL MC 499A required internship.
“The Dotdash Meredith Apprentice Program connects some of our most talented students with some of the most respected brands in the industry. I thank Dotdash Meredith for providing our students with such an opportunity and can’t wait to see what this year’s apprentices can achieve,” said Michael Dahlstrom, director of the Greenlee School and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Professor.
Meet the 2022-2023 Dotdash Meredith apprentices from Iowa State:
EDITORIAL
Molly Blanco
Home Testing
Molly is a senior from Burlington, Iowa, majoring in journalism and mass communication and Spanish with a minor in sociology. Last summer, Molly was a reporting intern with Harlan Newspapers. She has worked as the Iowa State Daily’s news editor of student life for over two years. As the performing arts director of the Iowa State Student Union Board, she organized events for students and managed the group’s social media accounts. Molly is a George Washington Carver scholar, a Dean’s List honoree and the recipient of a Carrie Chapman Catt Legacy of Heroines scholarship. She also lends a student perspective as a member of the Greenlee School’s curriculum committee.
Zachary Brown
Premium Publishing Copy Editing
Zack is a senior from Storm Lake, Iowa, majoring in journalism and mass communication with minors in English and culinary science. He currently serves as the editor in chief of Cardinal Eats, the campus food publication, and previously worked for a semester as TREND magazine’s lifestyle editor. Last summer, he completed a communications internship with Central Bank in Des Moines. He has written about travel for D-Ravel, and he’s also been a Rotary Youth Leadership Awards team leader. Zack’s cooking-focused Instagram account, @cookingconvoswithzack, highlights his cooking adventures and boasts over 1,400 followers.
Eleanor Chalstrom
EatingWell.com
Eleanor is a junior from Lawton, Iowa, majoring in journalism and mass communication with minors in political science and history. She has held several positions in two years at the Iowa State Daily, working her way up from academics beat reporter to lifestyle editor to Niche editor. She is also an editorial director with TREND magazine. Eleanor has earned Dean’s List honors and is the recipient of the Mores Family Scholarship in Journalism, the Forever Scholarship and the Music Scholarship. Last summer, she was the aquatics center manager for Sioux City Parks and Recreation and a server at Diving Elk Restaurant. She spends winter breaks working at a ski resort in Colorado.
Emerson Latham
BHG.com – Home
Emerson is a senior from Spirit Lake, Iowa, majoring in journalism and mass communication with a minor in Spanish. She has written for TREND magazine as the beauty editor and an editorial committee member, and the Iowa State Daily, covering the lifestyle and academics beats. This semester she is blogging about her study abroad experience at the Universidad de Sevilla in Seville, Spain, for International Studies Abroad (ISA). She has managed social media accounts for Barstool Sports and family businesses. She is also a member of Chi Omega sorority at Iowa State, where she has served as secretary and managed the chapter’s Instagram account.
Halee Miller
Better Homes & Gardens – Home
Halee is a senior from Glenville, Minnesota, majoring in journalism and mass communication with a minor in critical studies in design. As a marketing intern with Mortarr, a resource for the commercial construction and design industry, she wrote for the organization’s digital publication, The Forum. She’s been active in student media, having served as Cardinal Eats’ editorial director and a member of TREND magazine’s editorial team. She is also the president of her sorority, Kappa Delta, and is currently studying abroad in Florence, Italy.
Paige Mountain
DailyPaws.com
Paige is a senior from Hudson, Wisconsin, majoring in journalism and mass communication with a minor in event management. For the past year, she’s worked as an editorial intern with Girls’ Life Magazine, where she’s gained experience writing for the media brand’s website and social media accounts. She’s also written for the Iowa State Daily for two years, reporting on lifestyle topics. As a Greenlee student, she’s held leadership roles as a Greenlee Ambassador and a learning community peer mentor. She has earned Dean’s List honors and is the recipient of the George C. and Marjorie Griffen Groll scholarship. She volunteers with Iowa State’s Dance Marathon and is a member of the Sparkles Squad Inclusive Cheer Team.
Ella Schulte
Traditional Home
Ella is a junior from Mount Vernon, Iowa, majoring in journalism and mass communication with a minor in English. Last summer, she interned with 10 Missions Media, writing for FenderBender magazine. She also is a freelance writer for Arts Midwest, currently working on a piece about the Iowa State University’s Lyrica choir’s involvement in an upcoming world festival. As a first-year student studying at Drake University, Ella was the print assistant editor for Drake Mag, a student publication, before transferring to Iowa State in fall 2021. She is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Ashlyn Ware
Do It Yourself/Meredith Premium Publishing
Ashlyn is a senior from Bloomfield, Iowa, majoring in journalism and mass communication and philosophy. She is an academic writer and copy editor for the Iowa State Daily. She is also an anchor and producer with Greenlee School TV, Iowa State’s student-run broadcast organization. Ashlyn volunteers with the Student Union Board on campus and taught gymnastics for several years. She is in the top 2% of her graduating class. In her spare time, she enjoys working on carpentry projects, completing interior painting jobs and offering design consultation services.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Landie Bown
Successful Farming
Landie is a senior from Ankeny, Iowa, majoring in graphic design with a minor in advertising. She completed an internship with Tailgate Clothing & Apparel, a branch of American Eagle. She’s involved with Women Who Design and the Graphic Design Social Club at Iowa State. She has earned Dean’s List honors and holds a graphic design certificate from Des Moines Area Community College.
Maura Timmerman
Allrecipes
Maura is a senior from Urbandale, Iowa, majoring in graphic design with a minor in advertising. This is her third year on staff for TREND, the campus fashion magazine, where she is currently a graphic designer and content creator on the executive team. She is an active member of Delta Zeta sorority on campus, serving as the graphic design chair and social media and public relations chair. Maura also works as a student receptionist for Iowa State University’s College of Design and is a member of the design committee for the Iowa State University Blood Drive.