Internship Insider: Jeff Chase, Alex Hall, Will Leivenberg & Ally Williams to HOF

Time to hoist our final batch of names to the Bleacher Report Sports Writing Internship Hall of Fame rafters.

These writers learned a lot in our program, went on to do big things at B/R and abroad, and have now joined a select group with Internship immortality.

- Jeff Chase

Jeff epitomizes the term “go-getter.”  His enthusiasm and drive fueled monumental strides as a sportswriter and storyteller. In barely over half a year, he has 2.1 million reads (on more than 600 articles) and paid gigs with quite a few B/R teams, including the Internship faculty.

“”When I began, I didn’t know a thing about writing online—even writing professionally, for that matter.  Given the tools and resources from the internship staff, I quickly adapted to this environment and made a name for myself.  I couldn’t imagine being where I am without the help I received here first.”- Jeff @Real_Jeff_Chase & LinkedIn

- Alex Hall

One of our program’s all-time favorite guys to work with, Alex has a bright future ahead of him. His participation, communication and engagement level during the program set high standards. Based on sheer potential alone, Alex would have been inducted on many future ballots too.

“The Summer/Fall 2011 Internship with Bleacher Report gave me a true understanding of what can happen when you put your all into something. Because of the work I put in during the internship, I’ve been given so many great opportunities at B/R. I couldn’t be more grateful.” - Alex @AlexKHall & LinkedIn

- Will Leivenberg

One of our “original” interns, Will always went the extra mile: stretching his writing comfort zone, volunteering for extra assignments and showing up at the B/R San Francisco offices for writing shifts and training sessions. Nearly three years later, he’s filled numerous paid spots and is a familiar face on our video broadcaster team.

“Bleacher Report’s Sports Writing Internship was hugely effective for developing my voice as a writer. I established genuine, lasting connections with my internship coordinators. After a lot of hard work—and prodding—they helped me get another internship on the Community Team of B/R. Now I’m full-time!” - Will @golfforthesoul & LinkedIn

- Ally Williams

A pioneer for our program, Ally joined us with a background in video media. She honed her writing skills and then joined the B/R Video team as a broadcaster during its early days. She’s proof that the Internship can help sports media members across all genres.

“Bleacher Report gave me a wonderful outlet for my work, and my writing improved immensely throughout this internship. This experience and my role as a Featured Columnist and Video Contributor led to several outside projects, including being a national finalist for the 2012 MLB FanCave.” – Ally @itsallyduhh & LinkedIn

It will be another six months before the induction process renews.  As we search for the next three to five Hall of Famers, let the debate (and friendly competition) begin again!

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Joel C. Cordes is Bleacher Report’s Sportswriting Internship Program Feedback Editor. Along with fellow editor Greg Pearl, he develops B/R interns by providing feedback and mentoring, the highlights of which are shared with the B/R Blog.