As soon as the 2019-20 academic year ended, Kayla White ’21 jumped back into work and started her internship with Kids Comic Con (KCC). Working directly with KCC’s creator, Alex Simmons, she has kept busy over the past month assisting Simmons and ensuring that KCC’s summer programming runs smoothly.
In addition to managing KCC, Simmons works as an author and develops and hosts creative writing workshops. As such, White has taken on a range of responsibilities and been exposed to various facets of professional authorship. So far, she has relayed communication in online events, aided event participants, and helped manage social media during events. White said that in the future, she’ll focus more on helping prepare Simmons for interviews and conducting research for Simmons’ future graphic novels.
Majors: Creative writing, French
Hometown: Teaneck, N.J.
High School: Teaneck High School
As an aspiring author, White said that working with Simmons – who primarily creates graphic novels – has expanded her creative wheelhouse. “Illustration has never been a main focus of mine, really I’ve just been interested in writing. But it’s been good to learn a bit about how that works, since it could be something I work with in my future writing. I find it helpful to learn outside of my main skillset because I just have more in my toolbox to work with when anticipating a new project,” she said.
In addition, working with KCC has introduced White to other creative professionals. She explained, “I have already had the chance to network with some professionals in the comic industry. For example, I met one of the character creators for Disney’s Big Hero Six and Frozen! My supervisor, Alex Simmons, is a really great guy full of knowledge. I feel more encouraged and confident about myself as a writer today and as the writer I will be a year from now. Some of the work has been tedious and has required patience, but it has all been invaluable.”
Overall, White’s internship has enabled her to step further into the world of authorship and gain skills relevant to her future endeavors. By the end of the summer, she’ll not only have helped KCC in its online platform, but also have developed an aptitude for navigating the landscape of creative professionals.
