The Overlook has welcomed two new interns to its newsroom this summer—Mia Quick and Sophie Moos—and continues to benefit from the steady presence of Mercedes Dykes, a contributor who now supports both editorial and administrative operations.

“All three have become important members of the team,” said Noah Eckstein, editor-in-chief of The Overlook. “They bring curiosity, professionalism, and a deep care for local journalism. It’s been a privilege to work alongside them.”

Dykes, a journalism student at West Virginia University, joined The Overlook in May 2024. Over the past year, she has contributed research for reporting while increasingly taking on behind-the-scenes responsibilities that help keep the nonprofit newsroom running.

“I love the care that goes into each and every story published by The Overlook,” Dykes said. “Community journalism is important because it helps bring people together while keeping them informed.”

Quick, a recent graduate of SUNY New Paltz and former intern at The Legislative Gazette in Albany, brings a strong interest in environmental coverage and a passion for surfacing underreported stories.

“I love the freedom of community journalism and the ability to push the bounds of what is considered typical journalism,” Quick said. “There’s a unique trust and connection between a local journalist and the people in our community.”

She added, “I’ve learned so much from working at The Overlook so it’s hard to summarize it all up. Having the support from my editors and all of the readers has had a massively positive impact on my desire to write and get to as many events as possible and be within the community. I felt truly heard and challenged during my time here.”

Moos, who is going into their senior year at SUNY New Paltz as a journalism major, is a page editor at The New Paltz Oracle and invests much of their free time into developing their skills.

“Local journalism is so important because so many small, but worthy stories are forgotten about by bigger publications,” Moos said. “Highlighting real people and their real lives is so important and makes a community feel united as one. Working at The Overlook, I’ve learned many managerial realities of running a non-profit newspaper, and how to keep it running efficiently.”

Their work—both visible and behind the scenes—helps power The Overlook’s mission to provide rigorous, community-centered journalism for the Catskills.

We’re lucky to have them.