Final Farewell

The end! My internship is over and I'm feeling very accomplished.

On Tuesday I interviewed Shan Cretin, the recently appointed General Secretary of American Friends Service Committee, for the article I’m helping another intern with. I was nervous because I had never done such an official interview before. It went really well, though, and I enjoyed talking with her. She was kind enough to meet me in person and I was able to record the interview and then spend the following morning transcribing it.

This week I also entered corrections on a few articles (preparing them be sent back to their authors), I commented on some new submissions, and I double-checked the page numbers and table of contents of the September issue.

I remember when I first stumbled upon the Friends Journal website last winter, while searching for possible summer internships. I was pretty sure that I had found exactly what I was looking for and months later, I think I was right.

As an English major and rising junior, I wanted a summer internship that would allow me to test my interests in publishing and editing through actual experience. During my ten weeks at Friends Journal I've enjoyed participating in so many different stages of the magazine's production—commenting on submissions, copyediting articles, selecting poems, proofreading, helping with mailings, and attending layout meetings. I've enjoyed witnessing the incredible amount of thought and effort that goes into creating each issue. Friends Journal does a great job of including interns in their process and I don't know if I could have had such a hands-on experience anywhere else.

My learning experience also reached beyond the realm of publishing and editing. I've had the opportunity to learn more about myself—my strengths, values, and goals. Now I know that I really enjoy copyediting and other editorial tasks, that I thrive in a friendly work environment, and that I can see myself working somewhere similar to Friends Journal in the future. Yes, there have been challenging and sometimes frustrating parts, but I wouldn't expect myself to grow and learn without them.

Thanks for reading!