Nick at Cubola Productions

My internship took place at Cubola Productions, a local publishing company promoting virtually all Belizean literature. Though having a full-time staff of only ten people, this small company distributes their books all over the Belize and is currently involved in a wide range of different projects. I had the unique experience of being able to participate in a variety of these. One day I would spend writing a promotional article for local travel magazine and the next I would come into work and have to help draft a grant proposal for UNESCO. Other days were spent merely editing office letters and book reviews. I found myself with more personal responsibility and freedom then I was used to. Some days I wasn’t given assignment at all, and I needed to seek out my own projects. This professional atmosphere taught me how to excel and succeed outside the classroom. However, I quickly learned that my writing style needed to change. I needed to learn how to step away from the habits of college essays and frame my thoughts and sentences in professional language and style. This was a valuable learning experience that helped me hone my writing ability, beyond the classroom. My two weeks at Cubola exposed me to the Belizean context in a powerful new way. It gave me a chance to work alongside local men and women and hear their stories, it gave me a chance to hear the literary voices emerging in this newly independent nation, it showed me the struggles facing small businesses in Belize and the entire process a book goes to before you find it on the shelf.