Speak Up! Growing as an Event Fellow
In the fall of 2022, I was hired as an Academic Writing Program and Events Fellow for Wesleyan’s writing center. Walking into our first meeting, I couldn’t remember the last time so many butterflies had swarmed my stomach, but over time, my position as an event fellow instilled in me a newfound confidence as a leader.
While our specific tasks can vary on a week-by-week basis, the event fellows are a small team of students who plan, promote, and staff writing-related events on campus, such as weekly write-ins, alumni panels, and thesis retreats. We design posters and social media posts, update spreadsheets and email lists with attendance data, and attend weekly meetings to discuss future plans. I serve as the designated coordinator of the weekly write-ins, which is a relaxed space for students to do work, enjoy snacks, and listen to lo-fi music. We set up a Pomodoro timer to help students pace their work and take breaks, standing at the front of the room to make announcements.
The first time I staffed a write-in and was asked to manage the timer, I was petrified; I didn’t realize I had signed up for public speaking by applying for this position. With time, though, I gradually learned how to speak in front of groups of dozens of students. This has impacted me in other areas of my life, too, as I can now feel more comfortable leading discussions in class, standing at the front of lecture halls for demonstrations, and managing group projects.
As an event fellow, there are occasionally some unexpected challenges I have to navigate. For instance, during our big kick-off event for the write-ins at the start of the fall 2023 semester, the other fellows and I learned just as we were about to set up the room that it had been double-booked; another large-scale event had somehow overrode our booking and was already set up. Given how our event would be starting in twenty minutes, we had to rapidly find a solution. We scoured the building for an empty room we could use, sent out emails, and created signs, all within fifteen minutes. I’ve had to learn how to adapt to unforeseen obstacles, work as a team to think fast and find solutions, and accomplish large-scale communication. While the kick-off event easily could have failed, given the last-minute changes we had to make, it still ended up being one of our most successful write-ins yet.
Though the position wasn’t quite what I had initially expected, I can now confidently work in a team, resolve conflicts under pressure, and perform as a leader. I am grateful for the opportunity to help grow Wesleyan’s academic writing community and know that the skills I have learned will serve me in any and all future academic and career-oriented pursuits.
