Publishing Outside the Classroom: The NYU SPS Publishing Student Association Looks Back!

At the NYU SPS Center for Publishing, we are so proud of the group of talented and hard-working student leaders who constitute the Publishing Student Association (PSA). From community service events to professional development programs and social gatherings, the PSA does a great job keeping students in the NYU SPS MS in Publishing: Digital and Print Media program connected, engaged, and informed. As we prepare to transition from the current executive board to a new one for 2020-2021, we asked the outgoing officers to reflect back. Here is what they had to say, collectively and individually:

An Overview from the NYU SPS PSA Board:

This has certainly been a year for the books. We recognize it may not have ended the way we originally planned, but we’re grateful for all the great memories we were able to create before being asked to stay home. As the weather is getting warmer, we’re reminded of that beautiful sunny day at the Welcome Back Picnic in Central Park back last September. We discussed our first book club pick, The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, ate an abundance of snacks, and got to know one another. Seeing how excited everyone was to get started in the program was one of our greatest joys as PSA officers. We got a little spooky in October with our fun Halloween social and discussed Savage Appetites by Rachel Monroe. In November, we held our first professional development event, where we had three amazing alumni join us to talk about pivoting in the publishing industry. The PSA collected soaps, shampoo and conditioner for SPS’ hygiene kit drive, and volunteered with Reach Out and Read. We had a couple of pre-class socials to get us all together, celebrating Valentine’s Day (or just the end of the school week). Before everything changed, we were able to squeeze in one last book club, where we discussed Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Even with everyone dispersed all over the country (and the world), we held another professional development event. Our guest speaker, Ashley Orlando from Human Resources at Hachette Book Group, did a fantastic job of sharing some insights from a professional’s perspective on how to successfully write a cover letter specifically for publishing jobs. Needless to say, this school year has been jam-packed with fun and engaging activities for our students. We hope they feel that our work has helped them connect and grow both in their personal and professional connections.

Member Memories: 

What a year! Thank you to Judson and Andrea who have been so supportive of our small but mighty program. The students really made it so fun to plan every activity this year. I can’t wait to see what everyone gets up to in the publishing world! It’s all happening. So grateful for you all and this program. – Georgina Graham, President

I’m so grateful to everyone who took the time to come out to our events and spend time with the PSA. It's been great hearing all about your interests and your goals for your careers in publishing. I’m so sad that the recent unprecedented events in the world have cut our time together short by a few events, and as a result, I may not have had the chance to get to know some of you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out—I’d love to hear from any and all of you amazing publishing people! I wish everyone the absolute best as you continue on in the program and beyond. – Liz Sellers, Vice President

Working with everyone at the PSA was really fun! I feel like I got to know everyone a bit more. I got closer to some of my friends and made friends with those who I didn’t see as often. Not only were we able to have fun planning events and meeting the new class, but we were all supportive of each other when it came to midterms and finals, as well as job searching or advice-seeking. Being able to plan events with alumni that have so much to offer was also a highlight, and meeting people who went through the program and had great insight on the industry was a lot of fun. – Rhina Garcia, Communications

The PSA has been an incredible part of my graduate student experience this past year. I have made so many friends and served an incredible group of publishing students, all while learning more about publishing. Thanks to our club advisor Judson and my fellow PSA officers for a memorable year! – Madeline Rathle, Events Coordinator

As a PSA representative, I garnered a unique perspective when regarding the needs of the student community. In my capacity as the Treasurer, not only did I get to interact with leaders from other student bodies, but I also was fortunate enough to make some wonderful friends along the way. I feel my experience as a student was made whole with this role. I thank the Center for Publishing, the SPS community, and my co-representatives for a lifetime worth of memories. It has been an absolute honor! – Abhivyakti Singh, Treasurer

Congratulations, everyone, on making it through finals! In many ways, this has been a rollercoaster of a semester, but I’m glad to have been surrounded by such a great group of friends and peers while riding through it. We’ve done a great job of taking on new challenges despite life shifting beneath us during these last few months. I hope that everyone stays safe, and that you all have a relaxing and well-earned rest this summer. – Jacob Ellison, Graduate Student Council Rep

This academic year was full of ups and downs but being part of the PSA and the NYU community was one of the highlights. I truly enjoyed being part of the process of bringing students together and seeing it all come to fruition. One of my favorite events was the Halloween social and finding out how punny everyone is. Another favorite one was, seeing all the kids with their different personalities at our Reach out and Read event. I am going to miss this group but look forward to attending more PSA events during my last semester. – Dulce Botello, Community Service Coordinator