I find comfort in organization and setting goals. They quiet my racing mind and give me a sense of control. Throughout a childhood fraught with traumatic experiences, dreaming of what my life could be offered me hope. I had many interests and dreamed about what a day would look like in different professions. However, even in the wildest of those dreams, I couldn’t have imagined that I would ever be on the path I’m currently on. Growing up, I learned to be resilient, and as a military spouse, I’ve learned to be adaptable. Now, I am using those attributes to my advantage. My passion for preserving the past and providing learning opportunities led to my Library Sciences and Archival Studies graduate program. With my experiences in museum studies, archival research, archeological curation, nonprofits, the State Department, and my current academic path, I aim to hold an interdisciplinary role in Washington D.C. with the Smithsonian Institute, The National Archives, or the Library of Congress. An interdisciplinary career in libraries and museums would allow me to continue my desire to learn, help preserve the world’s cultural heritage, instill similar ideals in others, and, most importantly, grow educational and accessibility opportunities for others. We cannot put our incredible achievements into perspective without understanding our past. Every day, I want to be a better version of myself than the day before. I do this by giving my best in everything, from family to community service, work, academics, and personal growth. Through this, I have achieved nearly every goal I have set for myself, and I am confident that after obtaining my degree, I will one day be selected for my dream job. In making my dream a reality, my education is just the start. I have always had to work hard to achieve my goals, and sometimes, that means creating opportunities for myself, something I don’t shy away from. From being a founding member of the volunteering club in high school, creating a contactless clothing drive for an orphanage in Ghana, or leading a panel discussion on gender equality, I know I can’t be a passive participant in pursuing my dreams. I consistently look for ways to serve my community and create ways to help when I see a need because uplifting my community is a part of my identity. In my current role, I am working with my local library to integrate our programming to reach a wider audience and have begun volunteering with an initiative to transcribe and archive documents for the Wyandotte tribe in Michigan. I am pursuing my degree and on the journey towards my professional goals of aiding in preserving history and literature for future generations. Education is a constant for continued growth and success in an ever-changing world and the military lifestyle. I want to make a difference in people’s lives and ensure everyone can access information, resources, and a safe place to learn. I want to be a part of the library’s legacy and show other military spouses that we can do much more than we realize. I hope to leave the world a slightly better place through hard work, caring and serving others, and leading by example. One motivator in pursuing a degree is to return to where my volunteering began, the library. Libraries are a pilar of communities around the country. They provide books, education, and a safe place at no cost. When I enter my future role, I can give back what libraries have given me over the years: a place of learning, a place of safety, and a place of community.

Like many, I dreamed of attending college after high school. I would make new friends, create memories of a lifetime, start the journey toward a career I would love, and be the first in my family to receive a college degree. Unfortunately for me, it was just that—a dream. As the oldest in a family of six children with parents who struggled with alcoholism, my life was different than others. I witnessed domestic violence and multiple suicide attempts by a parent, and in 2020, my younger brother was the victim of a homicide. On numerous occasions, my family had nowhere to live, and when we did, having our electricity and water turned off was a regular occurrence. Weeks after graduating high school at 17, I began working two jobs to help provide for my family. I was a caretaker, financial support, a parental figure, and the person who kept everything going without complaint. But the dream of college was still there. I decided to save everything I could to pay for classes at the community college nearby. That fall, while continuing to work, I began classes, and although I knew it looked very different from the college experiences of others, I felt like my dream was becoming a reality. As the semester drew to a close, I faced a dilemma. I would have no transportation to school the following semester. Again, I refused to relinquish my dream, took any online classes the community college offered, and often walked to McDonald’s to use their Wi-Fi since that was a luxury we could not afford. It was challenging and humbling, but I was still pursuing a degree. Little did I know this would be my last semester at the community college. With bills, no transportation, and responsibilities increasing, I left school. Life continued, and I was lucky enough to meet the love of my life, a Marine from Wisconsin who not only reignited my dreams but supported them and helped me turn them into achievable goals. Because of his sacrifice and belief, I am now a graduate student working towards a career in a field I am passionate about. I’m a graduate student pursuing my degree through the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee while living in California, and my spouse is on deployment in Germany. But being on active duty, we move regularly, so every course I take must be able to move with me. I began my essay by writing about my past because it is easy to forget where that strength came from when we are resilient, adaptable, and triumph over challenges. Reminding myself of the difficulties I have experienced, the odds I have overcome, and what I have accomplished reinforces my ability to succeed when life and others say I shouldn’t. Now in my thirties, with my own family, job, volunteer responsibilities, and numerous other ways that differ from traditional college students, I see that my path has prepared me to overcome any academic or professional obstacle I may face. If I can navigate military life, higher education, and everything life throws my way, I do not doubt that I can and will accomplish any future goal I set my mind to. One motivator in pursuing a degree is to return to where my volunteering began, the library. Libraries are a pilar of communities around the country. They provide books, education, and a safe place at no cost. When I enter my future role, I can give back what libraries have given me over the years: a place of learning, a place of safety, and a place of community.

Like many, I dreamed of attending college after high school, although I didn’t know where. I would make new friends, create memories of a lifetime, and start the journey towards a career I would love. Unfortunately for me, it was just that—a dream. As the oldest in a family of six children with parents who struggled with alcoholism, my life was different than others. I witnessed domestic violence and the multiple suicide attempts of a parent, and in 2020, my younger brother was the victim of a homicide. On numerous occasions, my family had nowhere to live, and when we did, having our electricity and water turned off was a regular occurrence. Weeks after graduating high school at 17, I began working two jobs to help provide for my family. I was a caretaker, financial support, a parental figure, and the person who kept everything going without complaint. But the dream of college was still there. I decided to save everything I could to pay for classes at the community college nearby. That fall, while continuing to work, I began classes and thought that although I knew it looked very different from the college experiences of others, I felt like my dream was becoming a reality. As the fall semester drew to a close, I faced a dilemma. I would have no transportation to school the following semester. Again, I refused to relinquish my dream and took any online classes the community college offered, often walking to McDonald’s to use their Wi-Fi since that was a luxury we could not afford. It was challenging and humbling, but I was still on my way towards a degree. Little did I know this would be my last semester at the community college. With bills, no transportation, and responsibilities increasing, I left school. I had fought so hard, but in my heart, I knew it was time. By all accounts, the life I experienced as a child should have been my life as an adult. The adults closest to me did little to lead by example, but I needed to have hope that life could be different, maybe not for me, but at least for my younger siblings. I wanted to give them hope and show them that life can be different, and although it may not happen when we want, we don’t have to give up. Our struggles don’t define us, but they do change us. They make us compassionate, resilient, adaptable, creative, empathetic, strong, and wise. My experiences have shown me how strong I am and that although I may have to work harder, have intrinsic motivation, and create opportunities, my upbringing doesn’t have to define me. I may suffer from anxiety and depression, but I am reminding myself that I am breaking generational cycles and continuing to show my siblings that we are worthy of more when hopelessness dares to creep in. For me, life continued, and I was lucky enough to meet the love of my life, a Marine who not only reignited my dreams but supported them and helped me turn them into achievable goals. Because of his sacrifice and belief, I am a graduate student pursuing my MLIS- Archival track, working towards a career in a field I am passionate about. I am pursuing my degree and on the journey towards my professional goals of aiding in preserving history and literature for future generations. Every day, I want to be a better version of myself than the day before. I do this by giving my best in everything, from family to community service, work, academics, and personal growth. Through this, I have achieved nearly every goal I have set for myself, and I am confident that after obtaining my degree, I will one day be selected for my dream job. With my experiences in museum studies, archival research, archeological curation, nonprofits, the State Department, and my current academic path, I aim to hold an interdisciplinary role in Washington D.C. with the Smithsonian Institute, The National Archives, or the Library of Congress. An interdisciplinary career in libraries and museums would allow me to continue my desire to learn, help preserve the world’s cultural heritage, instill similar ideals in others, and, most importantly, grow educational and accessibility opportunities for others. We cannot put our incredible achievements into perspective without understanding our past. In making my dream a reality, my education is just the start. I have always had to work hard to achieve my goals, and sometimes, that means creating opportunities for myself, something I don’t shy away from. From being a founding member of the volunteering club in high school, creating a contactless clothing drive for an orphanage in Ghana, or leading a panel discussion on gender equality, I know I can’t be a passive participant in pursuing my dreams. I consistently look for ways to serve my community and create ways to help when I see a need because uplifting my community is a part of my identity. In my current role, I am working with my local library to integrate our programming to reach a wider audience and have begun volunteering with an initiative to transcribe and archive documents for the Wyandotte tribe in Michigan. But beyond my educational and professional goals, I have other goals of equal importance. I dream of a life that provides opportunities for growth, the ability to serve others, and a life filled with happiness. I want to create a life I am proud of and leave the world a better place. So, when I think about why I want to obtain my degree and what will follow, many things come to mind, and all are genuine. I want to do it for my brother, who never got the chance. I want to make a difference in people’s lives and ensure everyone can access information, resources, and a safe place to learn. I want to be a part of the library’s legacy and show other military spouses that we can do much more than we realize. I hope that by caring and serving others and leading by example, I can leave the world a slightly better place. And after all of that, it still comes down to one thing. This is where I am meant to be.

Have you ever considered a world without museums, archives, or libraries? Imagine the Declaration of Independence, the Rosetta Stone, or your favorite book are nowhere to be found. What effect might that have on our connection to our past or each other? Museums, archives, and libraries are some of the world’s most important institutions, and their very existence is crucial to preserving culture, history, and our First Amendment right to access information. My love of learning led me to pursue an interdisciplinary education in these fields, and my passion has guided my belief that these institutions and their resources should be available to all. By all accounts, the life I experienced as a child should have been my life as an adult. The adults closest to me did little to lead by example, but I needed to have hope that life could be different. As the oldest of 6 children, resources were limited. Although neither of my parents graduated college, I had an insatiable appetite for learning and felt it was the way I could change my life. The expectation of attending college immediately after graduating high school is one of privilege, a privilege I didn’t necessarily have. Just as the expectation of attending college isn’t equitable, the same is true for the opportunity to visit unfamiliar places or for people to escape the life they are in. Yet, the immersive power of books creates an accessible alternative. Libraries, archives, and museums are treasure troves of knowledge, history, and irreplaceable information, and we can use them to imagine a different time and place. An interdisciplinary career in libraries and museums would allow me to continue my desire to learn, help preserve the world’s cultural heritage, instill similar ideals in others, and, most importantly, grow educational and accessibility opportunities for others. We cannot put our incredible achievements into perspective without understanding our past. Furthering my education will allow me to maintain my pursuit of stability through education, provide a foundation that I will grow into long after we have left military life, and help me invest in my and my family’s future. Although I don’t know our next assignment, completing this degree will allow me to continue working, no matter where we live. I also want to show other spouses that although it’s challenging and you may have to get creative, we can work towards our goals while supporting our service members. I am pursuing my degree and on the journey towards my professional goals of aiding in preserving history and literature for future generations. Education is a constant for continued growth and success in an ever-changing world and the military lifestyle. I want to make a difference in people’s lives and ensure everyone can access information, resources, and a safe place to learn. I want to be a part of the library’s legacy and show other military spouses that we can do much more than we realize. I hope that by caring and serving others and leading by example, I can leave the world a slightly better place. One motivator in pursuing a degree is to return to where my volunteering began, the library. Libraries are a pilar of communities around the country. They provide books, education, and a safe place at no cost. When I enter my future role, I can give back what libraries have given me over the years: a place of learning, a place of safety, and a place of community.

Alcoholism. Domestic violence. Suicide. Homelessness. Growing up, I watched as both of my parents struggled with alcoholism. Because of this, I witnessed domestic violence and the multiple suicide attempts of a parent. On numerous occasions, my family had nowhere to live, and when we did, having our electricity and water turned off was a regular occurrence. At 17, I began working two jobs to help provide for my family because I felt it was my responsibility as the oldest of six. I was a caretaker, financial support, a parental figure, and the person who kept everything going without complaint. I was not allowed to be a kid, let alone be myself. Experiencing any one of these in childhood would be enough to cause trauma, but all of them at once cause a level of adversity that is difficult to describe. By all accounts, the life I experienced as a child should have been my life as an adult. The adults closest to me did little to lead by example, but I needed to have hope that life could be different, maybe not for me, but at least for my younger siblings. They were my reason. To do so, I seized every opportunity school offered. I took all advanced classes, participated in seven clubs (one organized volunteer opportunities and of which I was a founding member), did the statistics for the baseball team, became a varsity gymnast and a varsity All-American cheerleader, and was in the varsity choir and voted choir historian. When each day felt like an eternity, music was my oasis. Music was there when I needed an escape or a way to verbalize my internal struggles. Music gave me something to control when my world felt uncontrollable. These experiences showed me how strong I am and that although I may have to try harder, have intrinsic motivation, and create opportunities, my home life didn’t have to define me. I may suffer from anxiety and depression, but I am reminding myself that I am breaking generational cycles and continuing to show my siblings that we are worthy of more help when the hopelessness dares to creep in. The events of my childhood have given me a capacity for compassion, grace, and understanding that I may not have had otherwise. As a gymnastics and cheerleader coach, I aim to be a safe space for my athletes and someone they can lean on when they feel alone. Although I have an innate desire to help everyone, I am learning to take care of myself first, to be the best version of myself for others. Adversity of this kind makes people feel isolated and alone. On the hardest days, it is challenging to envision a time when life will differ for the better. We often hear that people should change their mindset when confronted with adversity. While there is merit in this approach, it disregards the lack of control, experience, and development of children. For me, taking control where I could helped immensely. Music, in particular, created an atmosphere of tranquility when the world seemed like too much. I would play music as I studied, and looking forward to choir at school gave me a reprieve from my home life. I had something to focus on, something just for me. I chose to remain kind and help others, and in doing so, I realized that if I could make a positive change for others, it meant that I could do the same for myself.