Written by Olivia Cyrus
Kifani Press is excited to announce the hiring of our two new summer interns, Diye Ndiaye and Olivia Cyrus. Diye and Olivia will work alongside Kifani Press co-partners and sisters Ashley Davis and April Foxx to help promote a love of literacy among youth in Shelby County and promote diverse representation in children’s books. Get to know them by reading the Q&A below:
Tell us a little bit about yourselves.
Diye: I'm Diye, and I’m from Senegal, Africa. I am 19 years old, and I attend Christian Brothers University. At Christian Brothers, I am a chemical engineering major; however, in my free time, I like to read and write fiction. I believe it is worth noting that my favorite color is blue.
Olivia: Hi! My name is Olivia Cyrus, and I am from Collierville, Tennessee. I am 17 years old and just recently graduated from Collierville High School. In the fall, I will attend Yale University, and I plan to study English. In my free time, I enjoy exercising, hanging out with my sister, Carmen, reading, and listening to music. My favorite color is burgundy.
What are you most looking forward to as an intern for Kifani Press?
Diye: What I am looking forward to as an intern is conversing with the kids at Arrow Creative’s Mini-Makers Camp and helping out with that.
Olivia: I am most looking forward to working on the newsletter and helping with correspondence for the local literacy events.
What has been your favorite part, thus far, of working at Kifani?
Diye: My favorite part about working at Kifani has been learning more about the company and working with the campers.
Olivia: I have enjoyed getting to know my co-workers and learning about the various details and things that go into operating a publishing company.
Tell us a fun fact about you.
Diye: A fun fact about me is that my favorite book is Tears of a Tiger by Sharon Draper.
Olivia: A fun fact about me is that I am left-handed when writing, but I use my right hand for everything else.
Olivia and Diye, we are so excited to see the wonderful contributions you make to the company this summer!