Journalism student Jenna Lifshen accepts internship position at NBC
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 5, 2026) — Jenna Lifshen, a junior sports journalism major, has recently accepted an internship position with NBC Sports for this upcoming summer.
The internship is based in Stamford, Connecticut, where Lifshen will spend five weeks working with NBC’s Sports Editorial desk and five weeks with the network’s research desk for online stories.
The hiring process was intense, Lifshen said, with five rounds of interviews with various NBC employees. Although the exact number of applicants is unknown, Lifshen is one of just three students who received an offer from the network.
Lifshen found the application on Handshake, a site students can use to find and apply for internships and jobs. Initially reluctant to apply for the position, Lifshen was encouraged by Kakie Urch, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Journalism and Media, to not only submit her application to NBC but other national sports networks, as well.
Lifshen is looking forward to networking with full-time professionals in sports media and soaking up all of the advice they have to offer. She said she feels you get out as much as you put into an experience, and she intends to carry that outlook throughout her internship.
An Austin, Texas, native, Lifshen came to the University of Kentucky specifically for its sports journalism program in the School of Journalism and Media.
Sports have always been a big part of Lifshen’s life, and when she realized she could make a career out of covering them, her mind was made up.
During her undergraduate studies, Lifshen has developed a strong passion for highlighting athletes whose stories might not be told otherwise, particularly in smaller sports like swimming and track. At the Kentucky Kernel, she was assigned to cover the former as her beat during her freshman year.
“I owe the Kernel everything,” Lifshen said about the independent student newspaper, which helped her gain vital experience for her internship. Regarding her swim coverage specifically, Lifshen “felt it was my duty to make people understand that it was more than just swimming ... that there’s a different side of sports people don’t talk about.”
Lifshen’s Kernel coverage later shifted to women’s basketball, and eventually, men’s basketball and football after she assumed the role of assistant sports editor at the student newspaper.
Lifshen will return to campus for her senior year in August and lead the Kernel’s sports desk as its newest editor after spending her summer at NBC.
Following her graduation next spring, Lifshen said she hopes to continue writing for a national outlet while challenging perceptions of the sports and athletes she covers.
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