EWING, N.J. – As part of NCAA Division III Week, TCNJ Athletics is celebrating the Division III student-athlete. Today, we revisit an interview with women's tennis senior Grace Minassian. She spent last summer interning at Forbes Magazine. This interview originally appeared in the Sept. 8, 2018, football gameday program.
 
What drew you to Forbes and what was the application/interview process like?
 
I was drawn to Forbes because it is one of the most well-known media companies in the world. I applied to work for the SportsMoney team because it fit perfectly with my interest in Sports and Business and thought it would be a valuable professional experience. My boss, Michael Ozanian (Executive Editor of SportsMoney) encouraged me to write my own articles this year instead of researching for other journalists. But because I worked here last summer, the application and interview process wasn't too intensive the second time around.
 
What were your primary duties during your internship?
 
Last year, I researched financial and personal information about sports teams and players for Forbes' "World's 100 Highest-Paid Athletes" list. I helped create Forbes' team valuations by contacting sports teams and calculating revenue from parking and suite sales for the NFL, NBA, and NHL for one of the senior editors of SportsMoney. I also fact-checked various articles appearing in the actual magazine. However, this year I researched for my own articles. I published two large articles focusing on Grand Slam tournament revenues, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. My U.S. Open story was published as a Special Feature on the Cover Page of Forbes.com.
 
What was the most unexpected thing that you either learned or experienced?
 
During the internship, we would have weekly intern meetings where we would meet the top executives of Forbes. We got the opportunity to sit down and talk to CEO, Mike Federle, magazine Editor and Chief, Randall Lane, and Steve Forbes himself. They all shared amazing stories of their past and what they hope for in the future for Forbes. But honestly, I learned the most by just sitting in my cubicle or walking around the office, listening to people's conversations. Being a finance major, I knew little about journalism or how to be a good journalist. I've seen movies like Devil Wears Prada, but I never knew how much work it took to put a magazine together. I was amazed by how many people an article goes through before it gets sent to the printer.
 
What was the atmosphere and culture like in the Forbes offices?
 
The Forbes Media office was originally on 5th Ave in New York City but transferred to the financial district in Jersey City for the past 3 years.  I sat on the 10th floor with an amazing view of the city. Everyone at Forbes is super welcoming and willing to help in any way they can. They made sure the interns fit right in. It was great to be in such an open and creative environment.
 
What is the AGBU Summer Internship Program and what were some of the opportunities that it afforded?
 
AGBU's Internship Program was founded in New York in 1987. They have 5 locations: Paris, Armenia, London, New York and Buenos Aires. I got accepted to participate in the New York City Program with 38 other Armenian students from all over the world. We had the opportunity to live together in the NYU dorms downtown which was such an amazing experience. The program itself helped us network and connect with Armenians who have succeeded in their field (after our individual internships). So I would work from 9-5 at Forbes and then around 7 pm we would meet for a panel or discussion with volunteer speakers 2-3 times a week. We got the opportunity to hear from advisors from Merrill Lynch, analysts Goldman Sachs, directors of SiriusXM, and so many more. This helped everyone get insight and advice from people whose paths we eventually want to follow. It definitely helped me narrow down what professional path I wanted to take but also help me discover which fields I didn't want to pursue. 
 
Did your coursework at TCNJ help to prepare you for this internship?
 
As a finance major, the majority of my courses have been based on business, so my classes could not help when it came to journalism. However, writing for the SportsMoney team gave me the opportunity to write about the financial side of sports. I had to dig through financial reports and know how to read them but when it came to writing and being an active journalist, I learned everything from my boss. Writing is an essential skill for any industry so I'm glad I had the opportunity to practice.
 
What do you want to do after graduation? Did your internship change or affirm your vision for your future in any way?
 
Working at Forbes was an amazing experience, but I don't plan on pursuing a path in journalism. I decided I want to work in Real Estate after I graduate. I come from a business family background so I want to follow my Dad's footsteps in owning my own business one day. I always admired him for being his own boss and I hope to do the same one day.