Sharing Her Creative Gifts
Of the four interns working with Beetle Press this semester, Vanessa Pesa will have the most creative experience. While the three others are working in areas of business and public relations, Vanessa will delve into the literary world, helping Janice with her second book.
Vanessa is a senior at Westfield State University and is majoring in English with a concentration in literature. She is 28 and originally from Brockton. Vanessa is the daughter of Vicki and Robert Pesa and is the oldest of five siblings with one brother and three sisters. She also has a dog named Jasper.
Vanessa attended Bridgewater State University but transferred to Westfield State University when she moved to Springfield in order to live with her girlfriend. Although she lives off-campus, Vanessa says that she enjoys the sense of community and involvement that she feels at Westfield State, something that she didn’t quite experience while at Bridgewater.
Attending Westfield State University has helped Vanessa to clear up her career goals for her. Teaching was a strong consideration, but she now hopes to work as an editor with a publishing company. At Beetle Press, Vanessa will focus on Janice’s creative projects, helping to increase the distribution of her first book, Divine Renovations, and helping to edit and promote her second book, with a working title of The Sun Drifters.
Vanessa values the opportunities that the college has offered and believes that her internship at Beetle Press will help prepare her for the work world due to the hands-on experience that it will provide.
The internship at Beetle Press was suggested to Vanessa by her advisor, Professor Marilyn Sandidge. Given the kind of work that Vanessa hopes to do in the future, Beetle Press seemed the perfect opportunity, as Janice can pass on her knowledge and experience in the publishing arena.
Currently, Vanessa works at Berkshire Bank in Southwick as a teller. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, Westfield State University’s English Honors Society, and she is also on the committee of Persona, the school’s literary journal. Vanessa enjoys running during the summer, and her hobbies include reading, writing, painting and yoga.
Vanessa is working hard to prepare herself for the career path that she has set, making use of the many opportunities offered by the school. Thanks to Janice, Vanessa will be able to end her senior year with some hands-on experience and a large step in the right direction.
