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| Sarah Ludwig (back row, right) with Coworkers |
The start of my college journey is probably not all too different from what many other undergrad students experience during their first year—going in thinking you want to study one thing but ending up dropping it entirely. In my case, I came to Ashland University believing a major in Integrated Social Studies Education was the perfect fit for me. After one semester, I discovered that, while I had an interest in the field of education, being a teacher was not the route I wanted to take. In fact, I had no idea which route to choose. Enrolling in a variety of classes throughout different disciplines seemed like my best option. It was during Dr. Weaver’s Greek Literature course that I decided to pursue a degree in English. I am very thankful to Dr. Weaver for sharing his love of literature and for leading me to the outstanding members of the English Department.
The skills acquired through pursuing an English degree are compatible with numerous fields, such as Marketing or History; however, I decided to learn more about publishing. During my last two years at Ashland, I had the opportunity to jump into this field while interning at the university’s Master of Fine Arts program and River Teeth. While working under Cassy Brown, I was able to gain vital insight into publishing and to develop professional skills. It was easy for me to see that I had found a career path that combined two things I enjoyed—reading and writing—and that I was eager to explore.
Landing my first job after graduation did not happen right away. I spent the first couple months applying for publishing positions located in Ohio as well as in cities in the surrounding states. The waiting finally paid off when I accepted a job as an editorial assistant at Solution Tree Press in Bloomington, Indiana this past March. Solution Tree provides professional development events and publishes materials for K-12 educators. This position has allowed me to have a hand in every step a book takes to become published, everything from the initial manuscript acquisition to the marketing efforts. Plus, as one of the “Treeple,” my tasks and responsibilities are tied directly to education, a field that I always hoped to contribute to despite abandoning my teacher aspirations. While I continue with this publishing adventure, I am also experiencing the exciting town of Bloomington. I feel very fortunate to work with an amazing group of people in a field that interests me and to have had the far-reaching experiences provided by Ashland University during my four years there.
