Success and Outcomes

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Pietra Dunmore '16, Freelance Writer, Editor, Stylist

Double Degree, MFA in Creative Writing and MA in Publishing. The Graduate programs in Creative Writing and Publishing introduced me to new forms of creative writing and expression—along with driving me to create and submit more often for publication. Since graduating Rosemont in 2016, I have had a variety of experiences. I do not have a typical day, but I use my skills honed at Rosemont daily. 

I am currently the final reader for Matter Press, The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts. It is my responsibility to read submissions of compressed fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction and give the definitive vote on works in question. I can honestly say that working with the Rathalla Review team and working as an editor for the Operating and Maintaining a Small Press class has helped me in my current position.

For a few summers, I worked as an English teacher for Rowan’s CHAMP (Creating Higher Aspiration and Motivation Project) Gear Up summer program, a six-week summer enrichment program for Camden City middle and high school students.

Daily, I maintain my company RetroChic Beauty and my author website pietradunmore.net. The experiences I had in the publishing classes have helped me maintain a cohesive look and feel to both websites.

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Cassie Drumm '16, Senior Account Executive at Scribewise

MA in Publishing. I started as an English major at Rosemont and worked my way to the Publishing program in my sophomore year. The thing that I loved about these programs was that I could really make them my own. My undergrad advisor saw potential in me and accelerated my track at my request. I realized over time that all of the staff at Rosemont taught me to advocate for myself. As a Raven Peer Leader I would always tell incoming freshmen that their time in college was whatever they made it to be. No one held my hand as I asked for what I wanted, as I made my own honors assignments for non-honors classes, and as I convinced the director of the Graduate Publishing Program to let me start earlier than anyone else had.

This confidence has stayed with me throughout the early parts of my career. As an assistant at Running Press, I asked for a promotion within a year of getting hired. I asked for what I thought I deserved, and I usually received what I asked for. Later on, when I was shaping new initiatives at Running Press, I helped my supervisors create a new position that was molded to my goals and vision for the company. I wouldn’t have gotten as far as I have without the guidance of my advisors at Rosemont, encouraging me to always fight for what I deserve.

In the Graduate Publishing Program, my professors guided me to gain the knowledge and experience to confidently start my career in the publishing industry. With each class, I felt new challenges and more opportunities to learn about the industry. I started my job at Running Press knowing more than most of my colleagues about the departments outside of our own. I used my knowledge of Publishing law to weed through contracts and find permissions when using author and illustrator content in marketing campaigns. I used my knowledge of indie bookstore operations to set up an authorless event kit when we were challenged for funds to send our actual authors on tour. My background on trends in the Children’s lit space came in handy when sitting in on new titles meetings. And my thesis work on the social media landscape in book publishing helped to shape my role as Associate Digital Marketing Manager, a position created just for me and my goals.

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Madeline Polino '19,  Editorial Assistant

Dual Degree, BA in English and Communications and MA in Publishing. Rosemont gave me a path that allowed me to find a destination. Thanks to the women’s soccer program, I found Rosemont. Thanks to Writing 110, I found the English and Communications departments. And thanks to Professor Katie Baker, I found the Graduate Publishing program at Rosemont College.

I always thought I wanted to go to journalism school after Rosemont, but editing and writing were where I needed to be. The 4+1 program gave me that chance and gave me that opportunity to jump-start a path to my future career.

In the fall of 2017, I entered Publishing Overview, where I was the only dual degree undergraduate student. Walking into that class on the first night presented me with two challenges: meet new people and talk publishing with them. Little did I know, this is what I was going to have to do every day for the rest of my professional life.

In the spring of 2018, I juggled three graduate and three undergraduate courses. During this semester, I recognized my path for the program: the editorial concentration. At that moment, I noticed how important editing was. Yes, the author writes the book or article, but the editor is responsible for making it sound good, for conveying the author’s voice and tone and meaning, and for bringing the book its life in this world in the form of acquisition and eventually publication.

With summer, I started the leg work for my thesis – a now completed 87-page paper that I couldn’t be prouder of. This semester taught me about the additional realms of publishing, but also helped me realize that publishing (and the working world) doesn’t stop for the summer and neither does the work it will take for me to get there.

The fall made me realize a lot of things. After spending countless hours working on my thesis while focusing on my final undergraduate semester and soccer season, I recognized just how important my future occupation would be, and that I was ready to be there.

In the spring of 2019, after just completing my BA in English and Communications, I presented myself with the final challenge: finish the program. Thanks to Marshall Warfield, the program's director, and his recognition of my drive to finish, I was able to balance four classes, the final semester of my thesis, and working part-time at home and on campus.

At the end of four years and after completing my final semester, I walked for my undergraduate and graduate degrees in the same ceremony. Of course, like any other student, I was happy to say that I earned my degree, but the program and Rosemont brought me so much more.

Rosemont – between undergraduate and graduate school – brought me lifelong friends, a team for a family, and an education. But it also brought me the realities of life including long nights, busy workloads, and lots of cups of coffee. The program itself brought me drive and desire to work within publishing, but also made me realize some of life’s most important lessons and experiences: balance work and life, find what you love to do every day and you’ll never dislike going to work, take opportunities and chances because you’ll never know where they will take you, and to never give up.

Three weeks after graduation, I started as an Editorial Assistant for CFMA Building Profits, an association magazine aimed at construction and financial industry professionals. Every day, I use the skills and knowledge of editing, proofreading, and publishing that I learned in Rosemont’s Graduate Publishing program.

I also use the other life lessons of communication, balance, hard work, passion, and drive every single day. And outside of just me, the others around me display them, too. And thanks to this program, I am comfortable with using my educational and life lessons in my everyday life.

For the educational opportunities, life experiences and lessons, and future possibilities that Rosemont and the Graduate Publishing program brought me, I am eternally grateful.

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Program Goals

By offering educational opportunities that allow for real-world experience, research, knowledge of current practices, and interaction with industry-professionals, the Graduate Publishing Program at Rosemont College aims to make the publishing industry more accessible to students, professionals, and the public. For students enrolled in the program, courses provide an education that covers several areas of publishing, helping them with a career in publishing or a publishing-related field. This education is designed to prepare students to meet the needs of organizations or their own publishing endeavors.