Boys Town National Research Hospital
As a proofreader at Boys Town National Research Hospital’s B.E.A.R Lab, I reviewed and edited research papers and grant applications in various stages of completion. Many of these manuscripts involved behavioral and neural studies of ADHD symptoms in young children.
I discussed edits with Dr. Anastasia Kerr-German and research assistants using Microsoft Word Track Changes and Google Docs, as well as curating personalized writing tips and guides based on previous edits. The goal for me as a proofreader or editor is first to help make the manuscript the best it can be, and second, to give writers the tools to improve their skills. I can format a hundred tables and generate a thousand references, but if I leave someone with no more writing knowledge than before, it doesn’t mean much to me.
While working with Dr. Kerr-German, I also got the opportunity to edit and co-author a research manuscript, “Delays in Neural Attention Network Development Underpins Working Memory Strategy Differences in 2- to 5-Year-Olds With and Without Risk for ADHD,” which is currently under review for a Brain Sciences Special Issue, “Neural Basis of Executive Control.”
Laurus Undergraduate Literary Magazine
For two years of my undergraduate career, I worked as a Junior and then Senior Editor for UNL’s Undergraduate Literary Magazine, Laurus. We met weekly after reading poetry and prose submissions to discuss and choose which met our standards for publication. We all worked as a group to decide on visual art pieces and cover art, as well as deciding the order in which all of the written and visual works should appear to create a cohesive whole. For a few months of my time with Laurus, I also managed and moderated the official Twitter account to gather more readers and submissions and advertise open mic events.
The Daily Nebraskan
I also used my editing skills to work with the undergraduate newspaper, The Daily Nebraskan, first as a Copy Editor and next as a Slot Editor. As a Slot Editor, I finalized, double-checked, and corrected AP Style edits to make sure articles were uploaded on time and with no errors. Participation in budget meetings allowed me to discuss daily goals with Section Editors in order to have clear expectations on both sides. This also came with the task of fielding questions from Section Editors, Copy Editors, and other journalists.
Prairie Schooner
As an intern for the local literary magazine Prairie Schooner, I worked with other interns to do the office housekeeping, such as sorting mail and cataloguing submissions and books sent in for review. Interns also fulfilled first reader duties, i.e. describing the merits and downfalls of submissions for other editors’ benefit and offering acquisitions suggestions. During this time, I gained insight into the publishing business by creating a good relationship with the Managing Editor, Ashley Strosnider, and discussing her personal experiences. This information has been valuable to me as both an editor and writer.
UNL Writing Center Consultant
Though this position taught me that being in an educator role is not for me, working as a Consultant at the UNL Writing Center gave me valuable experiences working with other students. We would collaborate with the students to discuss strategies used to improve their writing skills and identify points of improvement, allowing the writers themselves to take charge of their own writing.
Advising students of all disciplines and levels on how to develop ideas and support strong written arguments allowed me to pay them back with empowerment and guidance for teaching me about various areas of knowledge. At regular meetings, all of the Consultants would collaborate to discuss methods for managing challenging situations, like helping an ESL student whose language you are not familiar with or a student who just wants you to fix their paper without learning anything. Because of these experiences, I can now speak more intelligently about the act of writing and offer better advice when writers need it.
As Cool As Mint Ice Cream 