ASHLAND – Ashland University students Emily Cardwell, of Norwalk, and Garrison Stima, of Crestline, completed summer internships with fellow-Ashland organization and book publisher services company Bookmasters as part of the Great Lakes Career Ready Internship Program.
The Career Ready Internship Program, funded through a grant from Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation and available to eligible students through the spring 2018 semester, allows Ashland University students to engage in paid internships while exploring possible career paths.
At Bookmasters, one of the United States’ largest providers of publisher services including book manufacturing, warehousing, sales and distribution, and eBook conversion, Cardwell was part of the metadata team while Stima worked with the sales and marketing team. Placed in different, but equally important departments, the students have undertaken several tasks at the complex and gained a plethora of experience in their respective offices.
Cardwell, a senior majoring in English and history, was supervised by Bookmasters’ metadata and eBooks manager, Claire Holloway.
“My time at Bookmasters was incredibly rewarding,” Cardwell said. “I was only there for three months, but I learned a great deal of invaluable information about the publishing industry firsthand, especially concerning the importance of metadata, an aspect of publishing that is often overlooked. The people at Bookmasters were welcoming and supportive, and I was able to explore a new career path open to English majors that I had not yet considered. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.”
“We have thoroughly enjoyed having Emily on the team this summer,” Holloway said. “She has worked hard and, I hope, has seen that the hidden side of publishing is actually quite interesting. I found my first publishing position through an internship and know that getting your foot in the door and learning the vernacular creates possibilities in the future. I’ve perhaps given Emily too many ‘life lessons’ about publishing, but if I can help her get in and move up in her future career, then it is time well spent. I know she will go far and I hope she remembers her time at Bookmasters fondly.”
Kristen Steele, Bookmasters’ director of marketing and publisher relations, supervised Stima, a junior from Crestline, Ohio, majoring in creative writing and religion with a minor in ethics.
“This past summer at Bookmasters has been immensely fulfilling,” Stima said. “While I was also only present for three months, my life was opened up to the world of publishing and advertisement on a level that I had never experienced before. From the day-to-day lessons in the office, to the expansion of options in my vocational fields to various advertisement routes and to creative marketing practices, this has been a vital time in my life. Not to mention the extreme kindness I’ve received from everyone at Bookmasters during the whole process. I truly loved being there and couldn’t have been more satisfied.”
“From his first day, Garrison jumped right into every task given to him, which not only says something about him as an individual but also much about Ashland University and their ability to prepare students for their future careers,” Steele said. “Garrison’s skill set and work ethic were a perfect fit for Bookmasters’ sales team and even though he only spent a few short months with us, we’re thankful for his contributions and will miss his smile and sense of humor in our office.”
Altogether, from the students who were able to foster new skills and knowledge to Bookmasters who covered a widespread expanse with them, the experience was rewarding for all parties involved. Finally, with the summer of 2016 drawing to a close, Bookmasters is extending a hand toward the future in the hopes of further partnerships with Ashland University.
