The end of the semester is typically a mix of relief, exhaustion, and joy. Students who have worked hard all semester long are looking forward to a break and some rest, giddy with the promise of summer. It is a bittersweet moment for many faculty because while they are looking forward to the same things, they also have amazing students who they might not see in class or even on campus again. I am feeling mostly sad today because I am having my final meeting with my interns. Marina Miller has been so much fun to work with, to get to know this semester. She is a hard worker who pays attention to detail and always, always does her best. Even when she had assignments that were outside of her interests, beyond her comfort zone, she completed them with enthusiasm, precision, and professionalism. She set a high standard for next semester’s incoming interns.
Marina is graduating this semester, making the move from student to alumni. I hope you will join me in wishing her all the best. She will be missed, but we are certain she is moving on to good things.
What brought you to CSU?
In all honesty, I came to CSU because NYU rejected me. However, I stayed at CSU because of the people. We have some of the nicest people on this campus (crazy preachers who come to The Plaza excluded). I also really like the balance of social activities and athletics and academics here. We know that our sports teams are great and we support them, but at the end of the day we are a school where academics are more important.
What inspired you to pursue a degree in English, the Humanities?
Originally I decided to major in English because I wanted to go to law school. While law is something I am still considering, I am considering writing as a career even more so. My love for writing has only grown since being an English major at CSU.
What are you reading, writing?
I am currently reading Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave him the Wrong Finger by Beth Harbison. I am currently writing one of my last blog posts for my personal blog. I have loved blogging for the past four years but with graduation coming up, the blog has run its course at this point. I will continue to blog but it will be a different theme with different content of course and serve a different purpose.
Favorite book or author?
I read too many novels to choose just one favorite. The authors I like are Beth Harbison, Sophie Kinsella, Meg Cabot (not just The Princess Diaries, her grown up fiction too!) and Erin Duffy. I like fun reading and all these authors write fun, “girly” books that I can relate to.
Was there a specific class, professor, advisor, or fellow student who made an impression on you, helped you, or inspired you while at CSU?
So many teachers have helped and inspired me in these past four years. Kate Kiefer, Ellen Brinks (who finally taught me what a comma splice is), Carrie Lamanna, Sarah Sloane, Courtenay Daum (Political Science professor but still incredibly helpful) and of course Jill Salahub who said, “Thank God our plans don’t always work out” which is slowly becoming my mantra as I enter the real world.
How does it feel to be graduating? What are your plans?
Exciting, and absolutely terrifying. School has been such a huge part of my identity for so long that it’s a very strange feeling to just be finished with it. My plans are to take a week off and just sleep in and do whatever I want. And then I will probably get a job as a legal assistant to pay the bills while I try and find a writing job to support me.
What did you learn from your internship experience?
I learned the importance of proofreading, reading aloud and getting a second opinion on your writing. I also learned how to tailor your work to the audience that would most be interested in the topic, even if you are not necessarily a part of your audience.
What advice do you have for other students doing an internship?
Enjoy your internship and make the most of it. Yes, it looks good on a resume but there is more to it than that. If you pay attention and take the constructive criticism into consideration beyond just your writing (or whatever the task may be), it will make you a better writer and that will shine on and off your resume. And go to more events. Even if you don’t have to write about them, go for the experience and the networking.
Why is it important to study the Humanities?
I think studying the Humanities gives a broader base of knowledge than going right into STEM classes. People call me “well-read” now, which is I wouldn’t necessarily describe myself as but it is because of the Humanities classes I have taken. I wasn’t described in that way before I came to CSU. People will just ask me random questions now because they assume I know, and while most of the time I don’t know the answer, it does feel good to know that people think of me in that light.
What advice do you have for CSU English Department students?
Don’t get so bogged down on one text you can’t decipher or one class that you absolutely hate. When you can start to take classes that you are really interested in and you feel as though you will use the skills you’re learning in the real world, it will all work out. I hated my literary theory classes and I swore they were going to kill my GPA because I didn’t know what was going on, but I somehow got B’s in those classes and once I was finished with them, I got to take Writing Online and Writing and Style and I did amazing in those classes. Also, we all have at least one person in our lives that will either belittle the work we are doing or ask us what we are going to do with an English degree, instead of letting those negative comments get to you and make you question your decisions, use them as motivation.
When you aren’t in school or working, what do you do? What do you love? What are you obsessed with?
I love to bake. When I get really stressed out, I bake until I am able to calm down and handle the situation better. I also have a slight obsession with shoes so I go shoe shopping much more than I should.
Where can we expect to find you in five years?
In five years, I hope to be married and have one child. I know it sounds very stereotypical but I love kids and I want to make sure I have them in my life. However, I also want to have a successful career. At this point I can see two paths, one is writing – maybe I’ll get paid to blog at some point, who knows – and the other is law. Either way, where I end up will be a result of my English degree, and I know wherever I am will be fabulous!
Interested in this internship? We need two new interns for Fall 2015. Find out more: http://english.colostate.edu/news/english-department-communications-internship-submit-an-application/