English alumna calls students to 'lean into your passions'

Growing up, English alumna Bella Bledzki (’25) always loved fantasy literature, but never thought she’d turn that passion into a career. Just over a year after graduating, Bledzki is immersed in fantasy literature each day as a Digital Marketing and Social Media Associate for Penguin Random House (PRH) Children’s Books.

Bledzki’s journey into publishing was built through a series of increasingly competitive internships that allowed her to explore both marketing and book publishing. As a first-year student, she was a digital marketing intern for a branding company. The following year she joined a marketing agency as a marketing specialist intern.

By her junior year she had landed a marketing internship with PRH, and just after graduation, she completed a marketing internship with HarperCollins Publishers. She was hired full-time at PRH shortly after. Less than a year later, she was promoted to her current role connecting readers with the books that inspire them.

“Be creative and lean into your passions,” Bledzki said. “That’s what’s going to get you to great heights. I get to literally live and breathe young adult fantasy and children’s literature.”

Her passion for fantasy literature was further shaped during her time at JMU. In a course taught by English professor Dr. Sofia Samatar, Bledzki learned to examine fantasy literature through new critical lenses and to appreciate the diverse perspectives authors bring to the genre. She deepened that understanding while studying abroad at Oxford University in Fall 2023, where many of her courses focused on fantasy literature.

Bledzki also pursued a creative writing minor, culminating in an independent study in songwriting during her senior year. Looking back, she credits many of her most rewarding experiences to a willingness to step outside her comfort zone and pursue opportunities wherever they appear.

“Put your all into it. Ask for help. Go to your professors’ office hours and ask them what they’re looking for in an essay,” she said. “I wouldn’t have the career that I have without taking initiative, being bold and putting myself out there.”

That same mindset has been central to her professional growth. At PRH, Bledzki emphasizes the value of seeking feedback, asking questions and remaining open to learning, particularly as workplaces adapt to emerging technologies.

“I’ve used so many skills from my English major in my professional life,” she reflects.

Among those skills, writing remains the most valuable. Whether she is crafting emails, developing social media content, or expanding her online brand, Bledzki relies daily on the communication skills she developed at JMU. Equally important are the analytical and close-reading abilities she honed as an English major. Interpreting marketing data, evaluating campaign performance, and monitoring audience engagement all require the same careful attention to detail that literary analysis demands.

For Bledzki, success comes from consistently showing up, doing quality work and staying persistent. “That’s how you get seen. Find the right opportunities and never stop looking for experiences.”