“This isn’t just an internship. It is writers and creators and poetry that has shaped my life as an individual.” – Kenzie Ribera
During her time at Rice, senior Kenzie Ribera has been an integral part of the English Department. She has been a school finalist for Poetry Out Loud three years in a row, served the role as Creative Writing club president, Editor-in-Chief for the Knight’s Banner, assistant editor for the Knight’s Scroll, Rice’s first literary journal, and attended journalism seminars at Harvard in the spring of her junior year.
One of her biggest impacts has been her internship with Sundog Poetry, a non-profit organization created to promote poetry, support Vermont poets, and cultivate Vermont audiences of all ages.
How did your internship with Sundog Poetry begin?
I began my internship towards the end of my sophomore year. Mrs. Hebert was a board member for Sundog Poetry and we got really connected as I was the only member a part of her Creative Writing club. Sundog hosted their first Youth Poet Laureate competition that spring and the winner was Harmony Belle Devoe. Mrs. Hebert asked if I wanted to interview Harmony and write an article highlighting her achievement. I was beyond excited and also very new to writing in a journalism style and there was so much I was ready to learn from this. My article was sent to Drew Frazier, the president of Sundog at the time and he reached out about starting an internship. We began meeting over the summer on zoom and from there, my tasks began.
What are some of the tasks a part of your internship?
They definitely varied throughout the year. At the beginning I did mundane tasks like filing and updating events on Notion. Then, in the fall of my junior year I got to attend my first event as an intern. It was at Firefolks Art and it was an open mic event. I got to sell books and listen to some amazing poetry from Rajnii Eddins and Adrie Kusserow. Then, I got to help plan the Youth Poetry Summit, the same event I first attended as a sophomore. I created the graphic design on Canva for their instagram and newsletters and even got to bring a student perspective on zoom with the board members and Flynn. I loved being able to combine all of the art forms throughout, while practicing my creative writing and poetry at the event, but at the same time being a journalist and taking notes the whole day and later producing an article published on their website, recapping the day. I then got to write an article on Emma Paris, the second Youth Poet Laureate winner. I continued throughout my senior year attending events and writing articles on the Youth Poetry Summit. Though, no matter the task I was doing I was so passionate and dedicated to it all.
How has the internship improved your high school experience as a writer and as a student?
When you are a high schooler you strive to find people and something to connect to. I am so grateful to have found that through Sundog Poetry, especially during my sophomore year when I was really struggling. I have met so many amazing individuals and role models. It has made me a braver and more intentional poet, it has taught me the details behind planning events, and it grew my passion and love for writing. Most importantly, Sundog Poetry made me feel seen.
What is your favorite event you have attended?
The Youth Poetry Summit was always so exciting with all of the different students from different schools (one year we had six schools), and getting to see Rice students thrive at the event. The workshops with very intelligent leaders really helped me to grow in my writing and my approaches to writing. It was amazing to see everyone engage with one another and each other’s work. One time I remember I made two friends and we created a combined poem together and spent the rest of the day talking just because of that one poem. The open mic event is my favorite part of the day by far. Each student gets the opportunity if they choose to go up and read a poem of their own. I remember feeling so many different emotions just in one sitting, feeling and empowered and at the same time so emotional to the point of tearing up due to the vulnerability, yet throughout, I felt connected and understood.
Another event that was a personal favorite was the Environment and Poetry event at Champlain College, the fall of my senior year. I am majoring in environmental science and as a writer I had always felt like I was betraying my passion for writing by not majoring in it. However, the event intertwined my two passions perfectly and I understood they depended on one another. I felt immense comfort by listening to the poets who so deeply cared for the environment like me.
Ribera is now passing this internship onto another Rice student, sophomore Maelyn Slavik.
Slavik participates in the Creative Writing Club alongside Ribera, and this year she has founded the Knight’s Scroll. She was offered the internship by Larissa Hebert, one of Rice’s English teachers and the board secretary of Sundog Poetry.
How do you hope passing the internship to Maelyn will impact her?
I am so excited Maelyn is taking over the internship. She has worked so hard on the literary magazine being the Editor-in-Chief as well as her participation in running for the Youth Poet Laureate and Young Writers Project. This is so deserved. [I would tell her] embrace it all. Allow yourself to learn and grow. I know not only will this have such an amazing impact on her high school career as a writer, but I know she will have just as much of an impact on the organization.
