A Bit About Me
After focusing my undergraduate education on dance performance, I chose to take a publishing course in my final semester. That's where my love for book publishing began. After graduation, I moved to New York City to perform but had to move back to Providence, Rhode Island at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This gave me the opportune time to begin my master's degree in publishing and writing at Emerson College.
In the Publishing and Writing MA program at Emerson College, I had the opportunity to learn more about publishing and build my passion. Strong connections with my professors lead me to begin contract work for MIT Sloan Management Review as an email marketing producer. As I took on more clients that aligned with my various talents, I realized contract work would fit perfectly with my skills and where I currently am in my career. Now, I am beginning to expand my contract work in the hopes of starting my own company.
When I'm not studying or reading, I love weight-lifting and playing with my Mini Goldendoodle, Louie. During the pandemic, I also tried my hand at streaming video games — another activity I love doing but don't have as much time to since I'm no longer laid off due to the pandemic. Streaming gave me the opportunity to connect with new people and have conversations while stuck in the house. While at Roger Williams University, I was a tour guide for four years. This position was one of my favorites because I got to inspire prospective students and meet people that I would never have had the opportunity to meet and learn from. When out and about in Rhode Island, I often run into RWU alumni who tell me I gave them a tour of campus and sparked their love for RWU. I feel in a lot of the activities and positions I'm involved in now, I try to mimic that connectivity with other people.
In the future, I hope to continue my path in marketing and publicity with more of a focus on book publishing. I love to promote works of art and I want to be that instigating force to let an artist's dream come true. Another passion I found at Emerson College is book publicity. I find that this combines my marketing and event management skills with the added bonus of connecting with many people. I hope to find a full-time job by January of 2025 or to start my own company.
Other Work Experiences
Event Manager
After about four years as a lead server with Blackstone Caterers in Rhode Island, I accepted a position at Blithewold Mansion as a special events manager. Partially employed by Blackstone and Blithewold, I connected with brides/grooms and their vendors before their event, updated our event platform for staff, and ran ceremony rehearsals for 6 to 35 people. On the day of the event, I set up the decor in the mansion, ceremony site, and reception tent while assisting vendors and catering managers. After wrangling all wedding parties and family, I cue the ceremony and assist the couple in anything they need. Throughout the night, I watch over the venue, mansion, and event space in order to keep people safe and happy. This occasionally included serving food to guests and clearing tables. At the end of the event, I pack up the couple's decor and assist all catering staff, vendors, and guests in leaving the property. When the venue is empty, I shut down the mansion and tent before leaving the property. Along with other staff members who had other duties, I typically performed this position with one other Event Manager but also performed this job without a partner.
Freelance IT Associate
All About Solo is a company that produces reviews of solo performances in New York, NY. I insert HTML coding into each article before publishing it on the website. In addition, I code and create a monthly newsletter that is sent to subscribers.
All About Solo is Closed Due to COVID-19
Lead Server
Blackstone Caterers is a high-end catering company based in Newport, RI that provides food service at historic mansions and locations from Newport, RI to Providence, RI. Kiersten worked as a Lead Server starting in May of 2017 and is projected to continue working as a Lead Server in her spare time. When working events from weddings to charity galas, Kiersten provides excellent customer service to VIP guests while guiding other servers in the completion of tasks that are provided by the Event Manager at Blackstone. Such tasks include setting up tables, decorations, and table settings for dinner and cocktail events, taking guests' orders, serving food to each assigned table, clearing dishes, carrying between 20 to 60 pounds at various times during each event, and cleaning the event space upon the completion of the event.
Certified Associate
Dance Instructor
Dance Education Training Course is run for one week each summer through the Dance Teachers' Club of Boston Inc. Starting at age 13, dance students are able to take three one-week sessions in order to be a Certified Associate Dance Instructor. In levels one and two, students have daily classes in Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Musical Theater, and Ballroom with a focus on how to teach said styles to young dance students. The final day of the week is devoted to performance and written exams which each student must pass in order to move up to the next level of training. In level three, the same concept applies however, dance students are able to participate in a Teach In. The Teach In allows level three students to choose a discipline of Tap, Ballet, or Jazz and teach a randomly selected movement or position to other level three students. After each student has taught their step, teaching faculty decides which student has the best teaching ability in their category. Kiersten had the opportunity to graduate from DETC in 2013 with the Ballet Teach In Award for highest Ballet teaching ability.
Tour Guide
At the Roger Williams University Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Kiersten worked as a Tour Guide from May of 2016 to May of 2019. Kiersten supported the Undergraduate Office of Admissions in its mission to guide students on their journey to find the university that is best for them. She provided tours to
prospective students and family members with a focus on student life and excellent customer service.