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Meet Emily – our very first fully-remote editorial intern! (Thanks, coronavirus.) We have no doubt you will love getting to know Emily as much as we have. Keep a look out for her upcoming blog series on historical architecture from around the Fox Valley.

Name: Emily Speers 

Age: 18 

Hometown: Neenah 

School attending: UW Oshkosh-

Tell us about your background: Though I currently live in Neenah and am fully adjusted to civilization now, I used to live in voluntary isolation in the middle of the country with miles of land to run and play. My childhood was a mixture of dolls, dress up, tea parties, and–like any authentic home-schooled girl — horses. At the age of 8, I entered the world of strange-smelling buses, drama-filled friend groups, and questionable school lunches as I ventured into public school for the first time in my life. Life continued as normal, except we sold our horse, moved an hour away, and I went from a small-town school to Neenah’s massive middle school. I found a group of friends I deeply cherished, got out of my crazy eyeliner phase, and continued through to high school as a passionate writer and outspoken teenager, which I remain until now! 

Why did you want to be an intern at FCM? My fervor for writing has matured into a serious career choice, and I knew experience in the writing field was of high value as I started to figure out my future. I love FCM’s attention to the local attractions and people in our area, and I think this will be a wonderful way to test the waters of all different avenues of writing at such a fresh and lively magazine. 

What’s your favorite thing about the Fox Cities? The ability to drive 15 minutes in two different directions and end up in the middle of the wilderness or a bustling downtown filled with a sensory overload of food and music has always left me with a strong infatuation and appreciation for our Fox Cities. We have the perfect blend of city and country life, and anyone’s interests can be met when coming to the Fox Cities. 

The last book you read: Jane Eyre — The Victorian Era may be a slight guilty pleasure of mine! 

Last movie you watched: Little Women (2019). Again, anything Victorian! Also, my two sisters and I, being much like the daughters in Little Women, related a lot to the movie, so it has a special place in my heart. 

Any hidden talents? I am not sure if I would call this a hidden talent, but I can make my hair, which is ferociously curly, by the way, into any shape or size I desire by merely placing it into a specific position! 

What can’t you live without? I can’t live without my sister, Hannah, because she is my dearest friend in all of existence. Also, Vaseline. I can’t stand chapped lips. 

What’s the biggest risk you ever took? On a mission’s trip to the remote island of Ometepe, Nicaragua, I went against every blaring signal in my brain to stay behind and climbed a volcano, or should I say ran up a volcano because we (my group and I) were short on time — not the smartest choice, but I lived to tell the tale! 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Don’t trust your emotions; they tend to lead you astray. 

Describe your perfect Saturday: If this Saturday was in summer: wake up with the song of the early birds, stretch with a hot cup of tea, sit out in the sun and do a devotion and soak up the rays, spend the day on a road trip with my girlfriends or hiking the hills, retreat home to the smell of a cookout and a bonfire, watch the stars until we fall asleep. 

Follow Emily on Instagram @19emilymarie94