Kelsie Fitzpatrick has joined the staff of The South Whidbey Record as an intern in the newsroom.

Fitzpatrick, 17, is a senior at South Whidbey High School. She said she hopes the internship will help her kick-start a future in journalism.

“I want to understand what makes reporters tick and where they find inspiration,” she said.

Fitzpatrick is the daughter of Ryan and Ritchie Fitzpatrick of Freeland and is a lifelong islander. Being a senior in high school, and nervously anticipating her busy future, she set out to find a stimulating start for a career that could involve her passion for horses and art. She discovered a journalism internship program in the heart of the horse business through the American Quarter Horse Association.

The program lasts three months and gives post-graduate high school students the chance to get a taste of the Quarter Horse media that travels and covers their largest horse shows, then relays coverage to the Quarter Horse Journal.

Fitzpatrick — a member of 4-H and a barrel racer on Whidbey — plans to use her time at The Record to strengthen the skills she’ll need to land the internship. She spent her first week at The Record learning the basics of the operation the newspaper, as well as page design, video editing and other newsroom functions.

“Kelsie has been a real sparkplug in the newsroom,” said Record editor Brian Kelly. “Her enthusiasm has been really contagious, and it’s wonderful to see someone who is so excited to learn the do’s and don’ts of journalism.”