Maya Denkmire ’25 Shares Love of Writing at The Telling Room Internship</h1> <article> <h1>Maya Denkmire ’25 Shares Love of Writing at The Telling Room Internship</h1> <p>lcurtis2 — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 17:34:09 +0000</p> <span>Maya Denkmire ’25 Shares Love of Writing at The Telling Room Internship</span> <span><span>lcurtis2</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-07-31T13:34:09-04:00" title="Wednesday, July 31, 2024 - 13:34">Wed, 07/31/2024 - 13:34</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Describe what you’re doing this summer in your internship.</strong></p> <p>This summer I am interning at The Telling Room, a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Maine, whose mission is to “empower youth through writing.” Throughout the school year, they conduct residencies within schools as well as many after school programs that give kids the chance to learn new literacy skills and encourage them to share their stories with the world. For my internship, I am working in their summer camps (with themes ranging from world building and map making in sci fi and fantasy to comic making to essay writing). With the guidance of The Telling Room’s Teaching Artists, I am able to plan and teach writing-based lessons, exercises, and games, as well as help kids prepare for an end-of-week performance of the writing they have generated during camp for their families.</p> <p><strong>How did �鶹��Ƶ shape or influence you to pursue this internship? (For example – was there a particular class you took or a professor that inspired you? Did you discover a particular area of study you didn’t realize before?) </strong></p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-left"> <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Maya Denkmire '25</figcaption> </figure> <p>I have always known that I wanted to study creative writing at �鶹��Ƶ, but it was my experience in my Teaching Imaginative Writing class with <a href="/node/361186">Professor Rogers</a> that encouraged me to explore ways I could combine my love of writing with my love of teaching and working with children. During my residency for this class, I was given the opportunity to teach the practice of poetry to the middle schoolers of Langston Middle School. This experience not only inspired me to pursue my internship, but gave me the skills and confidence that have allowed me to feel successful and prepared in the internship thus far.</p> <p><strong>How does pursuing this internship align with your post-college life and career goals?</strong></p> <p>After college, I would love to pursue a career that engages with both my love of creative writing and my love of working with children. The Telling Room does exactly that by allowing children to use the art of writing to express themselves!</p> <p><strong>Is there anything you’ve learned this summer from your internship that has been particularly noteworthy or surprising?</strong></p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Maya Denkmire.</figcaption> </figure> <p>Having begun this internship, I feel like I have a much better idea of the philosophies I want to bring to working with children in the future. The Telling Room has provided me with invaluable examples of how play can be intertwined with learning, imagination can be fostered, and children can be met where they are in order to encourage growth.</p> <p><em>If you're interested in a summer internship, connect with the <a href="/node/4521">Career Exploration & Development</a> team to learn more about exploring career interests, gaining real-world experience, and developing a professional network.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-08-26T12:00:00Z">Mon, 08/26/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Maya Denkmire '25 is a <a href="/node/3221">creative writing</a> major with a concentration in <a href="/node/25226">education</a>. She has spent the summer working at The Telling Room in Portland, ME, to assist with their summer youth writing programs. Here, she discusses her experience and how her interest in writing evolved to include education.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4097">Internship+ Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4096">Summer Internships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4148">Creative Writing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4149">Education Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2403">Career Exploration & Development</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/elizabeth-rogers" hreflang="und">Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers ’07</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/creative-writing" hreflang="und">Creative Writing</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Maya Denkmire '25 at her internship with The Telling Room.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Maya Denkmire</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>