Professional Experience
Young Adult Librarian
NYPL (October 2021 - February 2022)
Morris Park Library (Bronx, NY)
Collection development using Sierra and BookOps (obtain new and diverse books, weed non-circulating books, and listen to what teens want to read)
Rearranging collection by genre using a label system and making good use of space and displays
Consistent teen programming (manga, LGBTQIA+, and more)
Manage College and Career Pathways (CCP) collection and future programming (SAT prep)
Community outreach and business partnership growth
Instilling urgency for Narcan training for adults and teens
Experimenting with new methodology and measuring outcomes dependent on what is needed (circulation, participation, etc.)
ELA Intervention & Acceleration 7th/8th Grade Teacher
NYC Department of Education (September 2019 - January 2020)
MS 337 School for Inquiry and Social Justice (Bronx, NY)
Taught 11 different classes, including ICT and self-contained classes
Supported ELA teachers by focusing on what students are struggling with and reteach to refine those skills
Built and tailored my own curriculum based on students’ ELA classes and the Danielson Framework
Big emphasis on differentiation (SWDs, ELLs, and other learners), Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Graded and provided comments toward student progression
Enacted positive reinforcement ticket system that students are excited to earn rewards
Built relationships with and between students to foster a comfortable environment for them to share their ideas without fear of ridicule
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Editorial Intern
(New York, NY), February 2018 – March 2018
Worked in support of Justin Chanda and Liz Kossnar with S+S Books for Young Readers
Attended weekly staff meetings, jacket meetings, acquisition meetings, and Lunch & Learns at which members of different departments discuss their roles
Evaluated children’s and YA manuscripts and wrote editorial notes
Constructed cover and front/back matter copy, comp title grids, tipsheets, P&Ls, blurb requests, CRFs, and CIP forms and data applications for the Library of Congress
Combined proofs from copyediting, design, and editors
Navigated Inventory Management System and Editorial databases
Administrative tasks, including mailing and organizing metadata
Writers House, Intern
(New York, NY), February 2017 – June 2017
Worked in support of junior agents, Andrea Morrison and Victoria Doherty-Munro, and senior agents, Rebecca Sherman, Dan Lazar, and Geri Thoma
Evaluated and forwarded/rejected manuscripts and queries
Wrote reader’s reports, editorial letters, and pitch letters for picture books, middle grade, and young adult manuscripts
Attended weekly tutorials regarding literary agent responsibilities under the guidance of Michael Mejias as well as seminars about the publishing process
Organized and reviewed royalty statements, contracts, and author correspondences using BAITS
Administrative work, including fielding phone calls and distributing mail and packages
Freelance Editor
Courtney Luk Editing Services (July 2013 – June 2021)
Children’s and young adult literature, fiction, and nonfiction
Provided clients with high- and low-order revisions (Developmental and line editing and fact checking)
Wrote editorial critiques to explain main weaknesses and strengths
Maintained long-standing relationships with clients
Managed website and social media platforms for advertising and engagement with potential clients
Higher Education
Queens College
Master’s of Library & Information Science (expected May 2022)
Certificate in Children’s & Young Adult Services (expected May 2022)
Lehman College
Master’s of Education, GPA 4.0 (May 2020)
The New School
Master’s of Fine Arts in Writing for Children & Young Adults, GPA 4.0 (May 2018)
Monmouth University
Bachelor’s of Arts in English with a concentration in Creative Writing, Minor in Journalism, Honors School graduate, GPA 3.8 (May 2013)
Skills
Member of ALA and YALSA
Social Media Specialist for Queens College Library & Information Science Student Association (QCLISSA) (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord, LinkedIn, QC listserv)
Diversity Committee Member for QCLISSA
Fostering creativity and engaging youth in social awareness through programming
Assessment and Evaluation, Cataloging and Classification (LCSH, DDC, MARC, RDA)
Creating eye-catching physical and electronic visuals using Canva
Administrative work (organizing files, emails, paperwork, copying/scanning)
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
Learning Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL)