Turning the Page: Student Turns Internship into a Job with Local Publisher

Growing up in Putney, Vermont, Jocelyn Lovering ’15 loved to write. “I always knew I wanted to be a writer,” she said. “I just didn’t know where that would take me.”

It took her to Keene State, where as an English major with a writing concentration, she not only got an internship with Bauhan Publishing, but also a job with the small independent publisher in Peterborough, NH. In her role as office administrator, Lovering handles multiple assignments ranging from publicity to proofreading. “I had no expectation of being hired after my internship. I was really surprised,” said Lovering, who was offered the job a week after graduation.

Lovering’s road to her Keene State degree reads like a mystery novel with twists and turns including a change of major, a three-year hiatus from campus, and a brief stop at Castleton State. Calling it “the best choice I ever made,” Lovering returned to Keene State in 2013, changing her major from education to English with a writing concentration, which enabled her to take courses that aligned with her career goals as well as an internship.

One of those classes, on memoir writing, was taught by Dr. Kirsti Sandy, a professor and chair of the Keene State English department. Lovering said she enjoyed writing creative non-fiction and learning about the theory behind the writing and how to use it as well. “It was definitely a game-changer for me,” she said.

Lovering also took several classes with Dr. Kate Tirabassi, an associate professor of English and the director of the College’s Center for Writing, including a professional writing class and an internship course that helps students understand some of the trends in writing and publishing. “We talk about how to transition from the academic context to the workplace context,” said Tirabassi. “The idea is to equip students for their next step.”

Lovering, who received the Fred Fosher Excellence in Writing Award last year, says many of the skills she learned at Keene State have come in handy in her job. She also enjoys the job perks like meeting interesting authors and getting to read most of the books published by the company. Watching the reaction of happy authors getting their books has inspired Lovering. “That’s my dream. I hope someday I can become an actual author,” she said.