Amanda Kraft, President and Editor-in-Chief of Maya Literary Magazine

Drexel University has a lot of science and technical-oriented organizations and clubs, but where does one go if he or she has a passion for the literary and the artistic? One club to turn to, for those who are interested in writing, art, and publication, is Maya Literary Magazine. Maya accepts submissions of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art from Drexel students across a variety of majors, and the club decides which submissions to publish in their yearly literary magazine. Leading this club is no easy task, but president and editor-in-chief Amanda Kraft has been able to use her passion for writing to make a difference in the organization and help Maya continue to grow.  

Amanda Kraft, a junior custom-design neuroscience major from North Carolina, has been involved with Drexel’s Maya Literary Magazine since her freshman year at Drexel. Amanda reached out to the organization because of her passion for writing and was greeted by a friendly president and a welcoming atmosphere from her very first meeting. Now, as president and editor-in-chief of Maya, Amanda continues to foster the warm environment and the connections between undergraduates with a love for the arts and writing. 

As a leader in an organization, Amanda must take on some time-consuming tasks, including meeting with Maya’s academic advisor, Kathleen Volk Miller, to go over future endeavors of Maya. They discuss ways to help Maya expand through the English department and to help spread the word among students about Maya. Amanda is also in charge of organizing and leading Maya’s weekly meetings and making sure that members know which submissions to take a look at before each meeting.  

Amanda is thrilled to see Maya growing and she hopes that more people continue to submit, join, and read Maya. Amanda has plans to reach out to English classes campus-wide to inform students about the magazine. Amanda is really passionate about seeing people submit their work. “I can’t help but smile when I think of all the smiles brought to others’ faces when they open a magazine that either they or their friend/family is published in,” she said. Amanda hopes to see more diverse submissions this year and in the future. She is especially interested in seeing handcrafted artwork submissions. Amanda believes that this year’s magazine will be one of the best to date. 

Amanda also has a passion for close-up photography and is currently being certified in scuba diving to be able to take more pictures! Amanda has many other hobbies which include playing Frisbee, riding bikes around the Schuylkill River, hiking, working on projects from Pinterest and Instructables, or watching “Doctor Who.” “If anyone is willing to teach, I am willing to listen,” she said about her many hobbies and interests. 

After Amanda graduates from Drexel, she wants to use her custom-design neuroscience degree to join a research team, either working in a medical setting or a company devoted to translational research. Amanda also wants to publish her written work, including the novel idea that she’s had since fifth grade.