The University will be closed December 19, 2024 to January 5, 2025. If you need assistance during that time, please call 1-855-OWU-1842 and leave a detailed voicemail along with your contact information. One of our colleagues will respond to your call as soon as possible.
If you would like to make a 2024 gift, please make your gift before midnight on December 31.
Name: Anna Edmiston ’23
Hometown: Sidney, Ohio
Majors: English (Creative Writing) and Film Studies
OWU Connection Experience: New York Arts Program
Edmiston spent her fall semester interning through the New York Arts Program, dividing her time between working as an editorial assistant for the Video Art Experimental Film Festival and as the literary programs intern for PEN America, a nonprofit that champions “the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world.”
“I have always loved the idea of New York City,” Edmiston says, “and I wanted to see what it would be like living here with a kind of safety net before I decided to jump in head-first.”
In addition to Edmiston, OWU students Katie Lee ’22, Katie Cantrell ’22, Mukami Mboche ’22, Fiona Hansen ’22, and Peter Lujan ’23 also participated in fall semester’s New York Arts Program.
“I wanted to explore career opportunities in my creative field that were practical,” Edmiston says. “Being a Creative Writing and Film Studies double major in Ohio seems like a risk because a lot of people will tell me that it is unrealistic to find jobs.
“I think creative fields are needed everywhere, but it can be hard to pursue a career in writing or film in small-town Ohio, so I wanted to go to the Big City and see what opportunities were waiting for me out here. This program is unmatched in what it offers and how it is carried out.
“I have always wanted to live in a big city like New York, but I was worried about apartment costs and utilities and just the day-to-day expenses. This program offered housing security that I would get nowhere else. I also love that they help set up the internships because it made it so much easier than having to brave that on my own.”
“The experience that sticks with me the most is going with a few people from the program to Coney Island. We rode the Q all the way down, it was like an hour train ride, but we had the most fun! I got to swim in the ocean, and we took pictures and got hot dogs. It was just the best.
“It was at the very beginning of the program experience, and it really solidified the friendships with people in this program. It was a representation, for me, of my independence that I have while being here.”
“The biggest thing I learned was independence: the ability to live on my own, make my own decisions, and be entirely in control of what happens in my life. I have learned that I am a talented and desirable asset in professional settings.
“I have also learned financial responsibility. Being in a city where it is so expensive to live, I had to learn how to budget and be smart with the money that I do have.
“Learning this was very important to me because it is hard to believe it until it has actually been proven to you. All of these are lessons that can be taught in a classroom, but I don’t think they are solidified until they are lived through and shown to be true. And I have learned so much that can apply to future work experiences, and I am so excited to apply them to my jobs in the future.”
“One of the main reasons I chose Ohio Wesleyan is because of this program. It seemed too good to be true, but I had to try for it because it seemed perfect for me.
“I also chose Ohio Wesleyan because the second I stepped foot on the campus, I felt at home. Everyone was so welcoming and I just felt like I belonged immediately.”