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Education and Honors

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Yale College,  B.A. Magna Cum Laude  May 2012: English and Writing Concentration.  GPA: 3.89

Oxford University, Balliol College, British American Drama Academy,  2009

Buckingham Browne & Nichols High School 2004- 2008

Cape Cod Sea Camp Counselor in Training Program 2003-2007

 

Prizes

 

• National Finalist in the Norman Mailer Fiction Writing Competition (2012) 

  • ​​Letter sent to Marina's family posthumously (September 17,2012): "This letter serves to inform that Marina placed as a top-four finalist in the 2012 Norman Mailer Four-Year College Writing Award for Fiction competition.  She is the first writer to come through the Center who has placed as a finalist in both Creative Nonfiction and Fiction - and we acknowledge this tremendous feat."

• Winner “Best Overall Production”  & New York Times “Critics Pick” for musical “Independents “NY Fringe Fesitval (2012)

• Winner of David Rakoff’s Gilded Ink Writing Contest with the MET + Public Radio International (2011) 

• Winner “Best Reading” the   NYC Midtown International Playwriting Festival

• Winner of Yale’s 2011 Dean’s Public Speaking Competition, 2nd place (2011)

• National Semifinalist in the Norman Mailer Writing Competition for Creative Non-fiction (2011)

• Winner of Yale’s Wallace Prize for Fiction, 2nd place (2011)

• Winner of The Kingsley Trust Fellowship to conduct original research while backpacking across India. (2010)

• Winner of the Chase Coggins Memorial Fund Fellowship (2010)

• Winner of the Yale Saybrook College Master’s Richter Fellowship (2010)

• Winner of The Moth’s official Yale slam (2010) 

• Winner of the Yale J. Edward Meeker English Prize (2009)

• Winner of Yale Freshman ORLO writing Prize (2009)

• Model United Nations: 1st place Harvard 2008, 2nd place Georgetown 2007, 3rd place Georgetown 2008, 3rd place Harvard 2007

• Selected to attend the Bread Loaf Young Writers Conference (2008)

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Publications

 

• The New Yorker online- “Cold Pastoral”  (2012p)

• The Yale Daily News –“The Opposite of Loneliness” (2012)

• The New York Times – “Another View: The Science and Strategy of College Recruiting” (2011)

• NPR’s Selected Shorts –“Reading Aloud” (2011) 

• The New Yorker online – “Reading the Theatre” (2011) “Sufjan Stevens: Trafalmadorian” (2011) 

• Author of musical, Independents, performed at Yale and winner “Best Overall Production” New York Times Critics Pick. NYC Fringe 2012. 

• The Yale Globalist International Relations Magazine – Staff Writer, 208-2010

 

Relevant Professional and Co-Curricular Experience

 

Marina had been hired to start work at The New Yorker after graduation 2012 

 

• The Paris Review– New York City: January 2012 – May 2012 Intern/Reader for The Paris Review, screening submissions and writing analysis. Help with copy-editing, event preparation and administrative tasks

• The New Yorker– Condé Nast, New York City: June 2011– August 2011. 

       Intern in The New Yorker’s fiction department, responsible for

       screening  and analyzing submissions.

• Wrote stories for The Book Bench blog, featured on the homepage. 

• Yale Daily News, Yale Globalist and Yale Daily News Magazine–2008-12

             Work as Contributing Reporter, Staff Writer and Writer (respectively)  for  

              Yale’s central publications.  

• Wrote the paper’s top hitting article in 2012 The Opposite of Loneliness for graduation issue. 1.4million views. 98 countries  

• Wrote the paper’s top hitting article in 2011 – a 4,000-word cover story mentioned in The New York Times, The LA Times, The Huffington Post and on All Things Considered. 

• Professor Harold Bloom – Research/Personal Assistant, 2011 -2012 Assisted with research and communications for classes and forthcoming books. 

• Production Assistant for Triassic Parq (Marshall Pailet), 2011 -12. 

• Winner of Yale Kingsley Trust Fellowship to conduct original research  in India – Summer, 2010.

• Traveled across India for two months researching and interviewing Humanists and Atheists. 

• Hired by Harvard University to staff-write about her travels for the university’s New Humanism Blog. 

 

Political & Social Activism

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President, Yale College Democrats – December 2010 – December 2011. 

• Led 200 active-member organization and oversaw Executive Board and three sub-committees.

• Appointed by Obama’s Organizing for America as the CT Inter-collegiate Elections Coordinator. 

• Yale College Democrats Executive Board – Elections Coordinator, Events Coordinator, 2008 – 2011

• Organized large scale event panels on Healthcare and Homelessness – the 2009 lobbying initiatives

  • Was responsible for persuading and coordinating speakers such as Howard Dean and Chris Dodd

• President of Yale College Elections Committee

  • Coordinate all elections activity on campus including registration, campaigning and education. Ran weeklycommittee meetings and act as umbrella for focus and candidate groups.

• The Yale Roosevelt Institute – Roosevelt Fellow for the Education Policy Center, 2008 –2009.

  • Gather and debate data on New Haven Promise and other national education reforms, responsible for persuading and coordinating speakers such as Howard Dean and Chris Dodd

• Obama Organizing Fellowship – Obama for America, Concord, New Hampshire, June – August 2008

• Served as Voter Contact Coordinator for the region of Central New Hampshire Worked as Community Organizer in towns, schools, religious and community centers

• The Boston Foundation – Intern in the office of the President, May – June, 2009

• Organized a team of Tufts graduate students to craft Boston Indicators’ Project Hub of Innovation Researched topics in urban development and city policy for speeches, reports and briefings

• Massachusetts State House – Office of Representative Thomas Conroy, Intern, Spring 2008.

  • Researched bills and policy issues for relevant legislation. 

• Boston Children’s Hospital Celiac Support Group

  • Founded and orchestrated four annual community fundraising events raising over $5000 ‘Ask the Teen’ columnist for newsletter 2004-2008. Volunteered with members of the support group, including advising the organization’s board.

• Connecticut Mental Health Center Research Project Assistant – Spring, 2010

  • Conducted original research on mental health and the arts in New Haven and wrote a 40 page report.

• Published articles & Fiction appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker on line edition, Living Without Magazine and read on NPR’s Selected Shorts

 

Creative and Performing Arts

STAGE:
Yale University:

•  Pippin, Main-stage Production (Berthe) - 2010

• Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Steve Martin (Suzanne) - 2010

• The Creation of the World and Other Business, Miller (Chemuel) Fall Main Stage - 2008 The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare (Angelo) - 2008
  Laughing Stock, Morey (Ellen) Spring Main Stage – 2009

• Dog Sees God, Royal (Tricia) – 2009

 

Summer Theater:

• Into the Woods, Sondheim (Cinderella) - 2007

• Guys and Dolls, Loesser (Adelaide) -2006
  Much Ado about Nothing

•  Shakespeare (Hero) -2005 

• Oliver, Bart (Fagin) -2004 

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TELEVISION & FILM:
Zoom (PBS) Zoom into Action series (2004)
Boston Children’s Hospital Educational Video (Narrator and Host) (2008) 

Lazerbeast (Melanie) – Harvard Theater department thesis film (2007)

• Taught poetry classes in New Haven Schools as a Member of Yale’s Spoken Word Poetry Team, WORD.

More than ten Yale student films

 

PLAYS

Utility Monster

Wellfleet Harbor Actor’s Theatre (2013)

• National Premiere Dan Lombardo, Director 

• The Firework Theater Winter Reading Series NewYork,NY (2012) (Dir. Josh Tyson)

Midtown International Theatre Festival New York, NY (2011) 

• Winner of “Best Reading” 

Yale Dramat Spring Production, New Haven, CT (2011)

• Produced in Yale’s Iseman Theater to over 600 people. (Dir. Chloe Sarbib)

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Independents 

Conceived and wrote book for musical 

(Lyrics Mark Sonnenblick, Music: Stephen Feigenbaum)

Fringe Festival New York, NY, (2012) Dir. Charlie Polinger 

• Winner Best Overall Production. New York Times “Critics Pick”

• Admitted to and scheduled for production in FringeNYC 2012 (Produced by Less Than Rent and Liz Ulmer)

• Made it to the final rounds for workshops at the Eugene O’Neill Center and The Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat

Off Broadway Theatre, Yale University, New Haven, CT ( 2011) 

• Workshopped in fall 2011, produced in Yale’s Off-Broadway Theatre to over 500 people.

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Fast Pass

New Haven, CT, April, 2012

• Private reading at Yale University in late April.

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Kaleidoscope

New Haven, CT, September 2010

• Worked with five other students to write a full show for all incoming Yale freshman.

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• Published articles & Fiction appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker on line edition, Living Without Magazine and read on NPR’s Selected Shorts

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Buckingham Browne &Nichols School 2004-2008

• 2008 Meriwether Otis Kimball Award for involvement in school life

• 2008 Henry Browne English Prize 

• 2007 Winner Profile writing Prize

• 2006 Winner Jacobs Cup Best Sophomore Debater

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• “Known for her keen intellect, irrepressible enthusiasm, strong opinions, and ready humor, she writes with insight, nuance, and grace.” Marina earned a place in the Cum Laude Society, headed the Model United Nations Club, served as a Peer Counselor, performed in many plays and musicals, sang in the chorale,  played four years of varsity lacrosse and served as coxswain of the boys varsity crew 2nd boat 2008 season. In every arena, she stood out as a kind, intelligent, invested young woman and a loyal, perceptive friend known for her quick wit and irrepressible energy” 

 

• Camping Instruction: Summer 2004 – 2007: Assistant Counselor at Cape Cod Sea Camps in Brewster, majoring in Sailing Instruction with a minor in tennis and art. Taught sailing to campers aged 6-14 for six days a week all four summers, for about 6 hours a day.  Occasionally taught tennis, art and drama lessons. 

• Sailing Proficiency: 1998-2008: Started sailing for the first time at CYCC when she was about 8. After a few years, Regan, the instructor, would let her come for free as a “mini instructor” and take other kids out. She also won first place in the 2003 CYCC Laser Regatta in the Junior Division. At Cape Cod Sea Camps she learned to sail Lasers, Sunfish, Mercury’s and 420’s.

• Certification: 2007: she was certified by the Red Cross in Small Craft Safety for Sailing, Canoeing and Kayaking, in CPR, in Basic First Aid, and in Basic Water Rescue.

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