Summer intern joins Enterprise staff

Peterson excited for hands-on experience at her local newspaper

By Anna Jauhola
For years, Miranda Peterson has been spotted in Lancaster with her camera taking shots for friends and family at sporting events.
Over the last few years, she has also been known to create posters, cards and logos.
“I was just messing around with it one day and it stuck,” Peterson said.
Her accidental discovery of a love for graphic design has led her to not only soon pursue the subject in college, but to get real world experience by working at the Kittson County Enterprise.
This summer, the Enterprise received a grant through the Minnesota Newspaper Association to fund an internship. Editor Margie Holmgren reached out to local schools in search of an interested student. Peterson’s name immediately came to mind for Superintendent Nicole Thompson at Lancaster School.
Peterson, who will be a senior at Lancaster this fall, said she found the opportunity interesting to learn more about graphic design and photography in a hands-on and local setting.
“I knew you and Margie a little bit just from seeing you guys around. I also thought I’d like it here,” Peterson said. “I like hands-on learning, getting experience more than training and then going by myself. I like second opinions and getting more ideas too.”
Before starting at the Enterprise, Peterson used editing programs Lightroom for photo editing and Canva for design. Here, she’ll learn more about industry-standard programs like Adobe’s Photoshop and QuarkXpress, the layout program used to create newspaper pages and advertisements each week.
Although Peterson does not have a desire to enter the editorial side of the newspaper, she is interested to learn how all aspects of the business works. In that vein, she will assist Enterprise staff by attending meetings when necessary. This week, she will sit in on the Lancaster School Board meeting, which takes place the same day as the Kittson Central School Board this month.
“Even though I’m not doing the stories, I can still see how you guys do that work – what you’re doing and why you’re doing it,” she said. “When I’m here, I pay more attention. Before, I thought, ‘Oh, it’s a story.’ But now I read them and go through them, because it’s more interesting. Getting that direct experience is different.”
Throughout her internship, and possibly beyond into the school year, Peterson is looking forward to also learning more about the communities around the county. The more experience she can gain, the better.
She enjoys photography the most, especially the facial expressions she captures when taking pictures of sporting events. Whether it’s a contentious varsity basketball game or an elementary volleyball camp, she knows she can always rely on a few tongues sticking out or wide eyes as a player yells.
Peterson is always seeking improvement, and often critiques her own work. She feels that will be her biggest challenge during her internship.
“Not being satisfied with my work,” she said. “If I take pictures, then go back and once it’s too late, I think, ‘Oh shoot, I should have done that or should have done this.’ It’s eye opening. I need to pay more attention sometimes.”
She has taken a photography class at Lancaster School and so far, has looked into graphic design programs at University of Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State University, but plans to continue looking as her senior year progresses.
In between school, online college courses and her passion for racing dirt bikes and snowmobiles, you’ll see this ambitious student out and about taking photos, but in a more professional capacity.
Look for Peterson’s photo credits in the Enterprise. She’s sure to have plenty of hands-on experience helping us cover your news, events, sports and more as she completes her final year in high school.