"Meet the YCP Research Assistant: Shelby Welch"

Hi. I’m Shelby Welch (she/her), one of the new research assistants at YCP, with a focus on the Young Scholars in Writing’s social media platforms. I am a junior at the York College of Pennsylvania with a Major in professional writing and a minor in marketing. I am involved with some activities on campus, such as Delta Alpha Pi, an honor society for people with disabilities; TriAlpha, an honor society for first-generation college students; and the InterVarsity and YoungLife Christian groups on the campus. When I am not in classes or doing school work, I love to read, write, and play around with makeup, as I graduated from Paul Mitchell with a makeup certification before coming to York College. 

When I started at York, I was a marketing major. Though I loved the professors I worked with, the major just didn’t feel right. A year in, I made the decision to go into Professional writing while still maintaining a marketing focus through those classes and my minor. My major has helped me learn more about the different aspects of writing and expanding my skills creatively and technically. I have run a public Instagram for myself since 2017 that was originally a makeup account. In 2024, it became a place for me to document my journey through life with my disability. I also run a blog about the same topic. I believe in the power of social media and I believe when used right, it can be very positive, and that is the energy I want to bring into YSW’s socials. When I was in high school, to say writing was special to me would be an understatement. I usually had my face in my laptop or a notebook writing something, but therefore, I only thought writing was creative and hadn’t learned otherwise yet. So, hearing that the professional writing major would teach more technical skills like document design or copyediting, it felt like my prayers had truly been answered. I have loved my time in this major so far, and I am grateful for the people I have met and worked with so far.

I first started working with the journal in the fall of 2024 when I took Document Design at YCP. I was introduced to the site, and I got to read and edit some of the new articles coming out this spring! It's truly amazing to see the work that has been put into these articles and the editing of these articles. These students believed in their articles so strongly that they were willing to go through this amazing yet extensive process to have them published, and that is so inspiring to me. This class allowed me to understand the ins and outs of YSW and its importance. 

I look forward to continuing to work with YSW this semester through social media and showcasing our wonderful authors we have this spring. I hope to further my own blog in the future and to maybe go into the social media field one day. What I do know is that writing will always be a constant in my life.