Class of 2015 graduate and former Equinox editor Mackenzie Travers spent her first post grad year in Keene working as editor for The Keene Sentinel’s magazine publication Enjoy Life to the Fullest ( ELF) and now she’s moving to Massachusetts to pursue a career in book publishing.
“Keene is such a great place to have a first job and they need young professionals. So I think people should give Keene a chance and take into consideration that New Hampshire has to offer,” Travers said.
Travers and her Sentinel team received two New England Newspaper and Press Association awards for ELF. One was best living section the other was best niche publication. Travers said she felt really proud of the awards and that it showed her what she was working on was making a difference.
“Keene such a supportive and friendly community. It was great to hear feedback from people, for example someone saying they tried a recipe, etc. I always felt proud working on ELF and to get those two awards was amazing,” Travers said.
Photo Contributed from Kenzie Travers’ Facebook Page
Travers said that working at The Sentinel was similar to working at The Equinox in regards to her responsibilities as an editor. However, at The Sentinel Travers was responsible for eleven publications: a seasonal one, a monthly and a weekly.
“ Working at The Sentinel gave me the experience for my new job to look at me and take me seriously even though I was only a year out of college,” Travers said.
Travers new position is an Editorial Assistant at Harvard Business Publishing and said that even though it seems like she’s stepping down to an assistant, book publishing is something she’s always wanted to do.
“I know I will learn so much from this position and it’s a company that I can see myself growing in,” Travers said. “ I also kind of just feel like I have made my mark in Keene, and I wanted to take the next step.”
Travers said her new responsibilities include working with five editors who are book editors and she will do the administrative tasks like scheduling and contacting authors while learning the processes of book publishing.
“ Right now I’m more familiar with newspapers and magazines so I think they want me to acquainted with book publishing before I take on other projects,” Travers said.
Although she will miss Keene, she said that seniors now should take advantages of the resources they have on campus before they leave.
“There are so many resources at KSC that people can take advantage of. For example have your favorite teacher look at your resume and give you tips on it and ask them who their connections are and see what’s available in the area you want to be in,” Travers said.
Lastly she said, “Make sure your LinkedIn is perfect, check your facebook and prepare to step into a professional side of yourself.”
Kendall Pope can be contacted at kpope@kscequinox.com
