The word “intern” can be defined as “a person who works as an apprentice or trainee in an occupation or profession to gain practical experience.” I don’t know about you, but the word “apprentice” reminds me of old fashioned jobs like candle making, and the reality television show of the same name. However, I and Promising Pages’ two other interns do not craft molded wax and our supervisor, Kristina Cruise, is much friendlier than Donald Trump. The three of us are quite different with very unique interests and roles for Promising Pages. I’d like to start off with our youngest intern, Chloe Hughes.
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| Chloe Hughes on the front left at MLK Day of Service |
From Waxhaw, North Carolina, Chloe is a junior at Cuthbertson High School. Growing up, Chloe was an avid reader with a whole library full of books. When asked if she continues to read now, she excitedly answers, “Of course, reading is such a good escape from reality!” Her current favorite book is The Murderer’s Daughter by Randy Susan Meyers. Chloe first heard of Promising Pages when searching for a non-profit to help out with. Chloe says she chose Promising Pages out of the score of other local non-profits because, “I love the message Promising Pages has to offer, and I wanted to be a big part of spreading that message.” She loves sharing what the organization does for people and making new people interested in the spread of literacy. If she could impart some advice to a child who is uncomfortable reading it would be “reading can not only help you academically, but it can help you figure out the type of person you are. When you open a book, no matter the genre, you are meeting a new character for the first time. As simple as a book may look, it could change your whole perspective on life.” Chloe helps out by dressing as Erma the Worma, attending book drives, volunteering at the warehouse, and she even had her own wrapping party with her friends. With such enthusiasm and love for children, it is no wonder she is an intern for Promising Pages!
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| Cecily as Erma |
Cecily Young, another enthusiastic intern, also dresses as Erma the Worma. Outside of the bright yellow costume, Cecily assists Promising Pages with marketing. This is very appropriate as she is a senior Communication Studies major with a focus in Public Relations at UNC Charlotte. Cecily was born in Richmond, Virginia, and she read constantly in her childhood. She says, “My mother made it a point to read to me and my siblings.” Most of her current reading is for school, but she still holds books close to her heart. She discovered Promising Pages through her Athletic Academic Advisor who had met Kristina and thought Cecily would be a good fit. This has been proved correct as Cecily is thoroughly enjoying herself. She says, “My favorite part of my internship is interacting with the children while dressed up as Erma. The children are just so happy to be receiving a gift!”
I, unlike Chloe and Cecily, have never donned the suit of Erma the Worma. However, being born and raised in Charlotte does make me somewhat of a rare character as it seems everyone here is from somewhere else. My role for Promising Pages is to update everyone in and out of Charlotte about us with weekly blogs, otherwise known as a blogger. I am a senior Creative Writing major with a focus in Fiction and a concentration in Dramatic Literature at Queens University of Charlotte. Simply put, I like to write a lot. This is a part of the way I came into my current position. Queens University held a social media boot camp for select non-profits and nominated students with interests in social media and marketing. It was here that I met Kristina Cruise where we were partnered for an exercise on how to get Promising Pages on the radar of more people. She suggested I start blogging for them. I was instantly interested in Promising Pages because of my strong love of reading. One of my favorite books as a child was Corduroy by Don Freeman. I do not currently have a favorite book, but I greatly admire J.D. Salinger. My favorite part of my internship is definitely being able to do something I love, and spread such an important and uplifting message at the same time. Please tell your friends and coworkers about our blog to inform an even larger number of people about Promising Pages. If you would like more information about us, browse through our website at www.promisingpages.com. And, as always, keep following the blog!
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| Me in the Erma apron and red jacket, next to our volunteer, Patricia |
--Faith Lippard, Promising Pages Blogger
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