2004 Fellows
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Lauren Causey
Howard University, 2004
Major(s): English
Lauren Causey lives in New York City and is a Contracts Assistant in Scholastic’s Legal department. The Louisiana native graduated from Howard University in 2004 with a degree in English. As a Fellow, Lauren worked in Trade Editorial in 2002 and returned two years later to intern for Karen Proctor, Vice President of Community Affairs. Lauren’s most memorable experience as a Fellow was “attending the Langston Hughes Children’s Literature Festival at the Alex Haley Farm,” where Hughes and other literary notables were celebrated. Lauren “gained a new awareness of how publishers can shape a child’s world.” Throughout the two summers, she learned “to value the uniqueness of individuals and their respective talents and gifts, which are essential to the formation of a strong team.” If given the chance to repeat the fellowship, Lauren would ask more questions and talk to more people in her department. She advises current and future Fellows to “go the extra mile! Your work is a reflection of you, so take care to make it the best quality possible.” Read more about Lauren by clicking here .
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Khadijah Fetuga
Vanderbilt University, 2006
Major(s): Ancient Mediterranean Studies
After receiving her degree from Vanderbilt, Khadijah Fetuga relocated to Munich, Germany to pursue a career in Media. She has a passion to create films that will “contribute to the overall improvement of family structures.” In the next five-to-10 years, Khadijah hopes to “be a documentary filmmaker, specializing in production…complete her first novel, be trilingual, and travel the world.” During the fellowship, Khadijah worked in Cartwheel and Trade Books in the summers of 2003 and 2004, respectively. Because of the fellowship, Khadijah now has “a better understanding of how to work with people and respect differences in personalities.” In addition to lessons in teamwork, she learned the value of preparation, planning, and readiness, “even when it might not seem necessary.” Khadijah has no regrets about her summers at Scholastic because she feels “negative experiences are equally essential to learning as the positive experiences.” Her greatest memories are the weekly mentor meetings with Program Director Karen Proctor. Khadijah felt supported, asked a “myriad of questions,” and gladly welcomed Ms. Proctor’s much-needed, timely counsel. She encourages the Fellows to take advantage of the wisdom Ms. Proctor has to offer.
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Alexandra “Sasha” Joseph
Princeton University, 2006
Major(s): English
New York native Alexandra “Sasha” Joseph interned in Trade Licensing and Media during the Fellowship. As of summer 2007, Sasha works as an analyst for Lippincott, a consulting firm. Sasha feels the fellowship helped prepare for her professional life by teaching “the importance of being perceptive.” She reflects, “Attention to detail and the ability to maximize the smallest opportunities differentiate you from your peers.” She wouldn’t change anything if she could repeat the fellowship. Rather, she fondly remembers the Fellows’ trip to the Alex Haley farm, as well as their meeting with Doug E. Fresh for their summer project. Before coming to Scholastic, Sasha typically “waited for questions to be asked” and directed to her, but after a couple of months in the program, she “gained confidence in her ability to speak up.” She learned to “proactively contribute to discussion pose challenging questions, and assert and support [her] opinions.” She encourages current and future Fellows to “take advantage of every opportunity offered by your supervisor, seek out mentors, and maintain the relationships you’ve built as a Fellow.”
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Cassandra Pelham
Spelman College, 2006
Major(s): English
Three-time Fellow Cassandra Pelham worked in Cartwheel Books, Arthur A. Levine Books, and Paperback Reprints for the 2004, 2005, and 2006 summers, respectively. Now a full-time employee of Scholastic, Cassandra works as an Editorial Assistant. Accustomed to individual work, Cassandra’s experiences as a Fellow taught her the true value of teamwork, a lasting lesson that has proven instrumental to her success in the workforce. Cassandra attributes her ability to network, tap resources, and build key relationships to the fellowship’s professional development curriculum. She urges Fellows to “seize opportunity, never burn bridges, always take notes, be open to constructive criticism, be confident, and own every decision you make.” Read more about Cassandra by clicking here .
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Kerri-Ann Rowe
Yale University, 2006
Major(s): History of Science/History of Medicine
Hailing from New York, Kerri Rowe currently works as a research associate for Yale University. She expects to graduate from Albany Medical College in 2011. In the next five-to-10 years, she hopes to be practicing medicine in a hospital in New York City. During the fellowship, Kerri worked in Trade Publicity. Her most memorable experience of the summer was visiting the Alex Haley farm, where she was given the chance to “bond with other fellows and listen to people who approached advocating children’s rights from a variety of different ways.” From the presentations at the farm, Kerri discovered the “multiple approaches to positively impacting children’s lives beyond literacy reform.” She credits the fellowship for teaching her how to be more “comfortable with [herself]” and impressing on her the “need to approach a situation with confidence.” Kerri describes being a fellow as “a chance to take on a large amount of responsibility, a chance to meet a group of diverse, interesting people and bond with them over a common goal, and a chance to meet some of the most enterprising executives in publishing. It’s an opportunity that should be enjoyed.” Thus, she encourages current and future Fellows to “have fun!”
