Fellow Diner Patrons,

Please join me in welcoming one of our newest interns, Susan Barnes.  A senior English major from Valparaiso University in Indiana, she has joined our team to help further The Midnight Diner’s success and to gain insight into the publishing world in hopes of someday working for a young adult and children’s literature publishing company.

When her time isn’t spent reading books, Susan likes to stay active and involved on campus.  Being a part of College Mentors for Kids has really influenced what type of publishing she would enjoy working with in the future.  College Mentors for Kids is a program where first through fifth grade “at risk” students are paired with “big buddies,” college students, and they interact and do different activities on campus to give first hand experience with how wonderful and beneficial college is.  Such activities include making goop with the science department, learning how to properly wash hands with the pre-med club, and even getting the chance to meet Valparaiso University’s division one basketball team!  Susan, wanting to take this wonderful experience to the next level, decided to combine her passion of working with kids with her love of books.

After college Susan is applying to various different graduate schools around the country including Columbia University, University of Baltimore, University of Denver, and more.  She would like to study publishing with possibly the addition of creative writing.  Stay tuned to see where she ends up!

If you have any questions or advice, she is permanently attached to her email (susan@reliefjournal.com) so do not hesitate to send her a hello!