A Summer at the Kelly Writers House

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Julia Lingenfelter ('26), an English major, interned with the Kelly Writers House Summer Workshop for Youth Writers. This internship was part of the Summer Humanities Internship Program.

Four years ago, the summer before I started my high school junior year, I attended the Kelly Writers House Summer Workshop for Young Writers. Though the camp was entirely through Zoom due to the pandemic, I had a fantastic time and it solidified my desire to pursue writing as a career and to become a part of the Kelly Writers House (KWH) community. When I saw this past Spring that KWH was in search of an intern to help with the camp, I knew I had to take the chance. Working this summer with prospective students and young teen writers was an incredible experience and the Summer Workshop program has once again changed my life.

Though I’ve often visited and participated in Kelly Writers House events, I felt that through working at the house, I became much more involved with the community. There were often employee specific events meant to build relationships between coworkers, such as weekly Wednesday brunch or making our own boba tea. Quickly, I felt welcomed into the space and was able to form connections with coworkers and fellow interns. I was also very excited to further develop my relationship with my advisor, Jamie-Lee Jossyln. It was a joy to get to know the house better and to allow it to become a home.

Through this internship, I’ve discovered a very unexpected love for teaching and working with high school students. This aspect of the internship had been nerve–wracking for me, as I had never worked in this field before. But during the summer workshop, I found myself really enjoying taking on a mentor role for the attendees by getting to know them and their writing. I found it rewarding to form these connections and to better understand how to help each individual grow their own writing skills. Similarly, I greatly enjoyed meeting with prospective students. I got to know high schoolers who were looking at the KWH, discuss my experiences at KWH and Penn as a whole, and give in–depth tours. This work has inspired me to take an active interest in working with young writers and to continue working with prospective students at KWH. Though I’ve never done this kind of work before, I’ve discovered how much I enjoy it and hope to consider pursuing it through different avenues.

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