By Abby Kom, IPCF 2023 Fellow
To say that this summer has been a dream is an understatement. My name is Abby, and for those reading it for the first time, I am the Indiana Press Foundation’s Fellowship winner. For me, that means a summer of interning with Indy Maven, a community that thrives on uplifting women in the Indianapolis area. From connecting with local CEOs, researching local businesses, strengthening my content creation, and writing articles, the Maven community has given me the space to grow my resume and explore the parts of journalism and marketing that I am passionate about.
Some lessons I have learned while working with highly talented and established women. One: Build your network. Professionals generally want to help young people, and sometimes all you have to do is ask. Two: Fake it till you make it. The mindset I have heard echoed throughout, frankly, awesome women is that you never truly feel like you know how to do everything. The best thing to do is to give it your all, act confident, and then make edits. Three: uplifting others will often uplift you as well. I’ve noticed that as we highlight these women doing amazing things, I have the opportunity to learn and try things I never would have before. For instance, writing an article about summer reads from local Indianapolis authors allowed me to include “published an article” on my resume.
Overall I am constantly stunned by the overwhelmingly kind (and patient) people over at Indy Maven, who push me to be a better writer, more connected to my community, and teach me the art of advocacy. A specific thank you to Maura Malloy and Leslie Bailey, women I look up to more than they know.
