Gratitude is a Divine Emotion: Yellow Arrow Interns
“Gratitude is a divine emotion: it fills the heart, but not to bursting; it warms it, but not to fever.”
from Shirley by Charlotte Brontë
One of the many ways Yellow Arrow Publishing encourages women writers and women in publishing is through inclusion within the organization itself. We welcome (and thrive with) our volunteers and interns, not only for our own benefit but to also (hopefully) provide a prospective future publisher with some necessary tools and knowledge about the publishing world. And even if a volunteer/intern does not plan to continue within the publishing world, the tools and knowledge of working in a women-led, collaborative organization. One that champions the different and the unique. One that looks for partners and allies rather than simple connections (see our growing list of partners here).
It would be impossible to organize, create, and publish without the incredible help of our volunteer staff and interns. They provide the thought process behind each journal by picking each issue’s theme and reading/voting on each submitted piece. They then read through the chosen submissions and edit them carefully and thoughtfully, not to change the voice of the author but to ensure that the voice flourishes. They provide continuous feedback and proofread the final product before release. And the same goes for our published chapbooks; the process of forming something for publication is thoughtfully long but fulfilling, nonetheless.
We try to find each volunteer, each intern, space in our organization to grow and flourish in the area they are most interested in (and of course where we need the most help!). Past staff members have worked at our live events and at Yellow Arrow House. They hand bound our publications and put as much love and tenderness into each copy as we could hope. Now that we are a mostly virtual publishing company, they focus on copyediting and proofreading as well as writing blogs and press releases. They create promotional material and images for our authors and create marketing campaigns. They help at live and virtual events and readings. And above all else, they support. Not only the Yellow Arrow team but our authors as well. I am so thankful to have had them with me on this journey.
So let’s introduce the summer 2024 interns. Each has our appreciation.
Caroline Kunz
Publications Intern
From Rochester, New York
What do you do? As a publications intern, I am largely responsible for formatting, copyediting, and proofreading Yellow Arrow chapbooks, vignette pieces, and journal pieces before publication. Additionally, I help to manage the Yellow Arrow blog by posting monthly Her View Friday and .Writers.on.Writing. content, as well as sharing my own personal blog posts. I assist in marketing these various publications by creating social media posts and designing graphics to promote Yellow Arrow’s many wonderful authors.
Where do you go to school? I am a rising senior at Loyola University Maryland studying English with a minor in writing. I will graduate in May of 2025.
What are you currently working on? As a college student, my most important job outside of Yellow Arrow is working toward my degree. However, since it’s currently my summer break, I’ve had the opportunity to substitute teach at a school district in my hometown. This, along with my publications internship, has been a great way to gain experience in one of my fields of interest. Plus, I’ve loved having the extra time recently to read for leisure and write creatively.
Caroline Kunz (she/her) is a rising senior at Loyola University Maryland, where she studies English and writing on a pre-MAT track. She enjoys traveling, scouting out new coffee shops, and, of course, reading and writing. As an aspiring educator, she hopes to share this love of the written word with future generations of students. Her current favorite authors include Taylor Jenkins Reid and Celeste Ng.
She plans to stay at Loyola for one year post-graduation to receive her MA in education. From there, she hopes to share with students her loves of literature and writing, as well as continue with her own personal creative pursuits!
Why did you choose an internship with Yellow Arrow?
I was immediately drawn to Yellow Arrow because of its mission to highlight and empower the voices of female authors across the world. As a young woman with a passion for writing, myself, Yellow Arrow and its impacts on the community were especially inspiring to me.
How are things going so far?
My experience as a publications intern has been meaningful in a variety of ways. I feel that I’ve gained valuable, hands-on experience in the publishing field, strengthened my skills in writing and editing, and found a deep appreciation for the female writers in our communities—all while working alongside women whose values align so closely with my own.
Sophia Lama
Program Management Intern
From Scotch Plains, New Jersey
What do you do? As the program management intern, my focus is centered around creating posts and graphics to support the team on social media, aid in building workshops, and assist with any and all programs Yellow Arrow has in the works. I also will be assisting in the editorial process as a reader and editor.
Where do you go to school? In the fall I will begin my senior year at the University of Maryland in College Park, and will be graduating in May of 2025. I have been pursuing a degree in English.
What are you currently working on? At the end of April, I completed my semester abroad in Spain, so I am trying to perfect my Spanish and become fully bilingual. Outside of that and Yellow Arrow, I am preparing to begin my senior year at the University of Maryland and I will be completing my degree in English in the spring.
Sophia Lama (she/her) is a rising senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, majoring in English. She is a part of a fundraising organization at college that raises money for Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C. Sophia spends her summers in New Jersey with her family, and in her free time you may find her running, skiing, or reading. Her favorite thing about reading is sharing her passion with friends during book club!
She will be graduating next spring and completing her degree, so the next step is pursuing a full-time job. Ideally she would love to work in New York City because it’s so close to where she calls home, but the true end goal is to work in publishing, wherever that may take her.
Why did you choose to do an internship with Yellow Arrow?
I chose an internship with Yellow Arrow not only because Maryland connections run strong, but because of their mission. As a female student at a large school dominated by computer science and business majors, I find solace in the smaller classrooms surrounded by predominantly female students. I see the hard work my classmates put in, reading several books a week and writing 10 papers per semester, and I also see it go unnoticed outside of the classroom. Yellow Arrow’s mission truly resonated with me because they put a spotlight on dedicated women readers and writers, and ensure their chance to shine. I chose Yellow Arrow because that is something I will always want to be a part of.
How are things going so far?
After about a month and a half of interning at Yellow Arrow, I’ve been given the opportunity to meet and learn from so many intelligent people. We are currently gearing up to host an advisory event with local individuals in the Baltimore/Maryland arts scene, so I am extremely eager to hear from those with great success in the field I hope to stay in.
*****
Thank you to everyone who supports these women and all writers who toil away day after day. Please show them some love in the comments below or on Yellow Arrow’s Facebook or Instagram. If interested in joining us as an editorial associate or intern, fill out an application at yellowarrowpublishing.com/internships.
Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women-identifying writers through publication and access to the literary arts. You can support us as we AMPLIFY women-identifying creatives this year by purchasing one of our publications or a workshop from the Yellow Arrow bookstore, for yourself or as a gift, joining our newsletter, following us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, or subscribing to our YouTube channel. Donations are appreciated via PayPal (staff@yellowarrowpublishing.com), Venmo (@yellowarrowpublishing), or US mail (PO Box 65185, Baltimore, Maryland 21209). More than anything, messages of support through any one of our channels are greatly appreciated.