The first installment of the UP Week Blog Tour asks, “Who Teams UP at, with, and for your press?” We thought this would be a great opportunity to highlight and celebrate some of the outstanding work that student workers do for the Press.
Student workers are integral to the day-to-day operations of Clemson University Press and to its central mission. As a small press with five full-time staff members, in recent years, our corps of graduate and undergraduate students routinely outnumbers the full-time staff. At Clemson UP, student workers team up to assist with virtually every facet of what we do, including design, acquisitions, production, marketing, social media, sales, and accounting.
It is often assumed that since our main focus is on scholarly communication, university presses don’t directly serve students at their institutions. It’s vital that we challenge this misconception, which has been used to justify recent actions like the announced closure of Bucknell University Press. A recent post on Feeding the Elephant sheds light on the opportunities that Bucknell students will lose if the press is shut down, with a quote from Patrick Henry, a former Bucknell UP student worker who is now an English professor at the University of North Dakota—and the author of a Clemson UP monograph, The Work of the Living: “Some disciplines have labs and clinics. The arts and humanities can gain the same kind of hands-on learning through university presses.” For student workers, a university press can be a laboratory for skill-building, professional development, mentorship, and innovation. Working at a university press like Clemson or Bucknell can be a career accelerator for students, whether they go on to work in publishing or academia, or in design, marketing, business—or any other job that requires collaboration, communication, or attention to detail.
Working for Clemson UP, graduate and undergraduate students in programs such as English, art, design, accounting, and marketing develop skillsets they can use in and beyond their majors. Each student worker gets a distinct experience tailored to their own skills and interests and to the specific needs of the projects they work on. This can include a range of hands-on experiences at the Press: planning social media posts, emailing authors and freelancers, assisting with conference prep, designing book covers, learning how to copyedit or typeset, reading book proposals, updating metadata, among many other tasks. While the full-time staff—many of whom are former university instructors—provide oversight and mentorship, in their time at the Press, students get opportunities that involve increasing responsibility and autonomy. They also attend and participate in our weekly staff meetings. By bringing their own educational backgrounds, connections, and life experiences to the table, student workers often find ways to innovate and enhance what the Press does.
We asked our current student workers—as well as one former graduate assistant who now holds a full-time role—to tell us in their own words: What is it like to be a student worker at Clemson UP? What have you learned, and what has this experience meant to you?
Mars O’Keefe, Editorial and Design Assistant
Working at Clemson University Press has really made me feel more prepared for the world after I graduate. My goals when I first started attending university were really vague and a bit lofty, and it led to my first year feeling very directionless. I had a lot of concerns about being an art major and finding a job because the job market was so daunting and unforgiving to newcomers. I got hired shortly after I finished my second semester and was immediately put to work on social media, and doing this really propelled my interest in graphic design, which ended up resulting in me gaining skills in typography, book production, typesetting, and much more. My portfolio is so much bigger now, and I’m significantly less worried about getting a job after I graduate.
More than anything, though, it really gave me the ability to work with others. I do book covers and other graphic-focused work at the Press that requires me to work with our authors, and their feedback is a major part of our process. I went into university being anxious about talking to others, and working there has let me work with the other student workers and even ask my professor, who was in the process of publishing a book with us, if I could design his book cover. I would have never been able to do that before, and it’s absolutely because of the chances and exploration the press has allowed me. It’s absolutely an understatement to say that working here has benefited me because it feels like so much more than that.
Samantha Pierce, Billing Assistant
I serve as the Billing Assistant at CU Press. In this role, I oversee receivables, ensure on-time payments, and manage over $200,000 in annual revenue. I’ve also developed Excel-based systems that streamline workflows and enhance decision-making. This position has provided valuable, hands-on experience that directly complements my Accounting and Financial Management double major.
Caroline-James Warner, Editorial Assistant
I am so grateful for the chance to explore my professional interests through my role with Clemson University Press. Going into university, I knew I wanted to eventually center my professional life around books, and CU Press has given me the opportunity to explore so many areas of the industry I see myself working in professionally. Some of the publishing areas I have gained experience in include acquisitions, marketing/social media, event planning, copyright/contracts, and editing. Through Clemson UP, I now have a greater idea of what specific aspects of the publishing world interest me most, and it has been amazing to receive such hands-on professional experience. I think CU Press offers students a multitude of professional opportunities, and there are so many ways each student’s individual strengths and interests can contribute to the press. At CU Press, I genuinely feel I am a part of the team, and they have truly helped me prepare for my future professional career.
Victoria Jackson, Graduate Editorial Assistant
Being a graduate student necessitates planning for the job market. I have had an interest in publishing but it’s very difficult to get a job without experience in the industry. I was fortunate enough to have a directed study with Clemson University Press and I have access to so many more opportunities to hone my skills. I get a tasting menu of tasks and responsibilities and, with close direction, get hands-on experience from a professional in the field. My confidence in acquiring a job in the publishing industry or with another press has skyrocketed since taking this position. The team is absolutely marvelous and a very tight knit, hard working group.
Gloria Aragon, Production Editor
My time with Clemson University Press has been one of the most rewarding parts of my professional journey. As a graduate student worker, I had the chance to learn from an incredibly supportive team that valued curiosity, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. I worked on projects that challenged me to think critically about design, accessibility, and storytelling, and I was always encouraged to take initiative and grow. What made the experience stand out was the genuine sense of teamwork—everyone cared not only about producing outstanding books but also about helping each other succeed.
Stepping into a full-time Production Editor role felt like a natural next chapter. The transition has been both humbling and exciting, and I continue to be amazed by the dedication and camaraderie of the Press team. Every day brings a new opportunity to collaborate, learn something new, and contribute to projects that matter. I’m especially grateful for the mentors who have guided me and for the trust placed in me to help carry the Press’s mission forward. It’s rare to find a workplace that feels like both a challenge and a community, and I’m thankful that Clemson University Press has been exactly that.
