When I first applied to the Branding Iron, I knew I had friends who had worked there previously, but I was ignorant of what it was really like. I thought it was going to be another campus job. I was wrong.
I came to work for the Branding Iron during my Senior Year with that in mind; the Branding Iron has been one of the best experiences I have at UW. The team was incredibly inviting, instantly making me feel at home with a conversation.
They do foster a connection between co-workers. There is an excellent balance of a desire to be a severe publication while attempting to bring a certain amount of space to be a place to learn and even take risks in your writing.
People make an organization, I know it sounds like a cliché, but in this instance, it is undoubtedly true. My fellow student staff members, such as Kylee Harless, among many others, were able to create an environment where work and play blend seamlessly, where the learning is highlighted with levity and wit.
The faculty who are not students are also a joy to work with, such as Cary Smith, who is both a fantastic manager and colleague, a pleasure to be around. I wish I applied to work with the Branding Iron earlier in my career.
However, as I graduate, I must say goodbye not only to the life of a university student but also as a member of the Branding Iron team. I will undoubtedly miss the Branding Iron more than the attending classes where my learning was immediately rewarded with relevance to what I was doing. I hope to find more work environments and teams that can mimic the virtues that I found in the Branding Iron.
As I will be moving on into the “Real World,” I will be attempting to move on into the world of teaching English as a foreign language abroad as an avenue to see as much of the world as I can. I know that my experiences at the Branding Iron will be an asset to that end.
Like so many of us who are having to graduate during the pandemic, my future is uncertain. While for many, this is a scary prospect, but oddly enough, I find the chaos exciting, I believe there will be opportunities to be had when the world opens up again. I hope you will find them and whatever else you are looking for.
