Communications studies major and future journalist Julissa Canas Escobar served as editor of The Stormy Petrel campus newspaper for two years, and now her latest internship with the Decatur Book Festival has her turning the next page.

Julissa Canas Escobar ’19

The graduating senior first learned of the opportunity from Oglethorpe’s Atlanta Laboratory for Learning. Erin Sherrill, director of career development, and Dr. Beth Concepción, assistant provost and director of the A_LAB, helped connect her with the Decatur Book Festival director and get the internship approved for credit within the same week.

In her internship, the graduating senior is assisting with planning the 2019 festival by extending author invitations, proofreading communication materials, updating the DBF database, and reading books in preparation. The festival is scheduled for August 30-September 1 in Decatur, Georgia.

Canas Escobar says she felt prepared for the internship. “My communications classes have taught me the importance of being flexible in any role you take within an organization. Therefore, I feel confident that I can easily adapt to whatever task may come my way related to the communications field…. The emphasis on critical thinking on text and media is definitely coming in handy as I am reading these books—that will publish later this year—when I am assessing which books/authors pair well together thematically.”

A previous internship with the Latin American Association further prepared her. “It was a great experience that taught me how nonprofits operate and how the communications major is applicable for a wide range of potential jobs.”

And perhaps most importantly, the internship has introduced her to a different side of the writing industry and allowed her to make valuable connections.

“I took the internship because I thought it would be fun and I could learn from it,” she said. “As an aspiring journalist, I think any new knowledge is welcomed.”