And then there’s Maria Varonis, who is me. But I’m going to write about myself in third person because it feels less pretentious that way.

Maria is by far the oldest intern here at State and Federal Communications, Inc. She looks like an aging oak compared to this handful of beautiful, youthful seeds. Last year, Maria had a birthday party. It was roller-skating themed. There was a DJ and vegan baklava. “You only turn 25 once,” she said.

Maria studied Organizational Communication at Ohio University, and is working on her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Akron. Her focus is nonfiction. Sometimes she works on her thesis during her lunch break, and sometimes she doesn’t touch the thing.

Here, Maria has been helping with marketing. Having studied organizational practices in her undergraduate years, she considers it a privilege to work at “such a productive and communicative establishment.” Maria said she is impressed with how State and Federal Communications, Inc. functions, and that Elizabeth sets a good example for how to run a business. “She takes great care of her staff. In return, her staff is kind and accomplished,” she said. “It’s impressive.”

For lunch, Maria packs very strange meals consisting usually of tofu and mustard greens, vegetables and beans. The tofu is only sometimes, but there are almost always beans.