Check out these quick Q-and-A’s to get to know our interns this semester a bit better!
Michael Leibel is a junior at UNC working on a bachelor’s degree in business journalism, and he’s a Tar Heel born and bred in Chapel Hill. In addition to his internship with us, Michael was also the assistant online manager at The Daily Tar Heel last semester. He started working with us in October, so he’s gotten to know a bit about Durham through watching Monuts make their doughnuts, interviewing the folks behind Two Toasters and posing for our December 2012 cover.
What have you learned or like most about Durham thus far?
I really like the businesses in Durham. The area is one of the nation's fastest growing tech cities, and the startups here reflect that! I also like the Durham Bulls and the booming American Tobacco Campus.
What are a few of your hobbies and interests?
When I'm not at classes at the [business] school or [journalism] school, I enjoy hockey, college basketball, reading SEC filings and iced coffee.
What are you most excited about in terms of working for the magazine?
Durham Magazine has allowed me to cover topics I'm passionate about. In addition to being given the chance to write nearly every day I've also been able to write about businesses and startups.
What are your future aspirations?
I want to work somewhere that makes me happy and makes me learn something new every day.
What’s an interesting fact about yourself?
In 2006, I was voted Time Magazine's Person of the Month. In December 2012, I made my modeling debut on Durham Magazine's front cover.
Melissa Flandreau is a senior journalism major at UNC from Coppell, Texas. Prior to her internship with us, Melissa interned at Spirit, Southwest Airlines’ in-flight magazine, and at Our State. She’s just getting her feet wet here at the magazine, but she’s already ventured into Durham to cover one of Cocoa Cinnamon’s beta opening days, which you can read about in her fantastic blog post here.
What have you learned or like most about Durham thus far? I love all of the bookstores, especially The Regulator.
What are a few of your hobbies and interests? I love reading, doing crosswords and watching movies. I'm also a coffee addict.
What are you most excited about in terms of working for the magazine? I’m really excited to spend more time in Durham discovering all the cool things it has to offer.
What are your future aspirations? I’m hoping to work at a magazine after I graduate in May (Yikes!).
What’s an interesting fact about yourself? I worked at a French restaurant all through high school, and one day, I made a Caesar salad for Cowboys QB Tony Romo.
