For our first Humans of Eddy (who aren’t currently in Eddy) post this fall, intern Denise Jarrott spoke with fellow MFA student Abby Kerstetter, and has this to share:
“Abby leads dynamic life in the CSU English department. You may have seen her tutoring in the Writing Center, interning at the Colorado Review, or in one of the many places that have been the temporary camps for Eddy in the remodeling phase.
A 2nd year MFA student in poetry, Abby is making the most of her time at CSU by engaging in several facets within the English department.”
Which classes are you taking this semester?
In addition to Poetry Workshop with Sasha Steensen, I’m taking Word and Image and Teaching Creative Writing with Todd Mitchell. I’m also an intern at the Colorado Review.
What is it like working as an intern for the Colorado Review?
I’m doing some copyediting and proofreading. I had some experience doing this for a publishing company in New York when I lived back east at Scholastic. I’m also typesetting one of the books and designing the spring cover of the Colorado Review.
What else are you up to this semester?
I’m an assistant to Dan Beachy-Quick and I’m also volunteering at Wolverine Farm. It was an internship that started last summer.
What advice would you give incoming English majors?
Seek opportunities and get practical skills. Look for opportunities in your field. A lot of undergrads are surprised when they graduate and just have a degree. There is education for personal development, being in a classroom, education for education’s sake, then there is practical experience and that’s a really important thing to realize, that you do more than your degree.
What is your biggest priority right now?
I’m looking forward to focusing on my poetry as opposed to seeking real world experience, which is what I’ve been doing in the past.