CANDICE COOTE graduated this spring from the City College of New York.  She majored in English Literature and is part of the school’s Publishing Certificate Program (PCP). Having previously attended art school, earning her A.A.S. in Graphic Design/Illustration from Pratt Institute, she is creative and well-rounded with varied skill sets that have helped her to keep striving toward her goals in publishing. Before entering the PCP, Candice was an editorial intern at BUST Magazine and Akashic Books and bookseller/intern at Artbook @ MoMA PS1. Currently, she is finishing up a managing editorial internship at Open Road Integrated Media and is an agency assistant/intern at McKinnon Literary. Dedicated to diversity and representation, she hopes to carve a path for people of color and other underrepresented voices both in books and behind the scenes in the publishing industry

ALFHA GONZALEZ is a senior at the City College of New York pursuing a career in Publishing. At the age of twelve, she left her family in the Dominican Republic and moved to New York City with hopes for a better future. During her high school years, Alfha immersed herself in the world of literature, falling in love with the English Language. After years of studying literature and learning more about her own passions, she decided to pursue a career in the book business. Alfha has published articles in campus publications such as Harlem Focus, and The Campus. Her love for reading and writing underlies her commitment to the written word, and how books can transform lives for the better