Class of 2014 alumna Elizabeth Boyer has gone from one success to the next by going out on the limbs of her interests.
“All through Witt, I knew I wanted to be in literature. I’ve always loved books, reading, writing. But I didn’t really know how to apply that to post-grad life,” Boyer said.
Luckily, Wittenberg had a connection that could help her do just that: the Denver Publishing Institute (DPI). Boyer took advantage of the opportunity and applied.
“If I get accepted, I’m going to go,” Boyer said to herself as a senior, and that’s exactly what she did.
Upon graduation, Boyer left for Denver without ever having explored the city to attend DPI.
During her year there, she “learned everything there is to know about the industry,” she said.
Last Thursday, Boyer came back to Witt to share her experience at DPI and her success since — landing a job as the production editor at a Chicago publishing company, Source Books.
“While I was at DPI, I got to interview with the company I’m working for now. Now, I’m at Source Books and have been there for a year and a half,” Boyer said.
“I oversee copy editing, proofreading, template designing (how the book is actually laid out), cover design, basically everything from the time the book is acquired to the books going into print,” she said.
Despite having been told over and over again that pursuing work in the world of books was unrealistic, she took risks and now reaps the rewards.
“It is a really satisfying feeling — living on my own, moving to a city I’ve never experienced before, getting the job I wanted. Like, this is my dream entry-level job,” Boyer said.
Primarily editing young adult fiction and children’s books, her position keeps her very busy.
“I’m working [with] books now that will be published in the end of 2016 or early 2017. Even though it is overwhelming at times, I’m realizing, ‘like wow, this is [a] really good experience.’ I’m learning so much,” she said.
All the while, Boyer continues to be forward-thinking: “There’s still room to grow. I always think ‘what’s next?’ Just because I have this job now I don’t want to be stagnant.”
Her advice to current students is: “enjoy your time at Witt because there’s nothing like it, but there’s still more to come. Life isn’t over after college,” she said.
“It’s okay to not know exactly what you want to do the day after graduation — lots of people don’t. Even if you’re not exactly where you want to be day one after you walk the stage, just have your goal in mind and always be forward thinking. And don’t settle!”
These pieces of advice seemed to have worked for Boyer in achieving her dream success beyond Wittenberg.
“I do have like this pride of like, ‘oh, I went to Wittenberg.’ It was a great foundation for real world life, definitely. I was also a Writing Center advisor, which is all I talked about in my interview for the job. Definitely relevant experience,” Boyer said.
