When I met my husband, I thought he was cocky, a stark contrast to my reserved, bookish self. We worked together at a cell phone store, and he was a born salesman, wheeling and dealing while I was more empathetic toward the customers. In the months that we worked together, I saw a softer side of him that brought little presents to his niece and called his mother every afternoon to check on her. When I lost my job, he held my hand as he drove me home. We balanced each other, with him pulling me out of my shell and me calming his impatience. Together, we traveled and built a life. When I met him, he told me that he had a genetic condition named Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that had already caused him to need a lung transplant and a kidney transplant, but for the first twelve years, I only knew him as a healthy person who happened to take a lot of pills. He enjoyed sports and loved to bowl, golf, and fish. Then, one day, we noticed that his legs were extremely swollen. What followed was several months in and out of the hospital as he faced a series of health issues, culminating in me donating a kidney to him a year later. That kidney donation bought us four years of almost normalcy, punctuated by occasional hospital stays. His health forced him to give up bowling, but he continued to golf and fish, even scoring a hole in one. The last time I spoke with my husband was October 31st, 2019. He was in the hospital, and I had spent the night on a stiff seat in his room. We had gone to sleep late after watching the last game of the World Series, and he woke me at 5 a.m. complaining that he couldn't breath. He was rushed to ICU and placed in a medically induced coma. Before being placed in the coma, I told him that I loved him and that I would see him when the coma was over. On November 2nd, I lost my husband at the age of 47 and only days after his final golf game. In my grief, I found myself in a strange limbo, figuring out who I was without my husband, the driving force that got me to travel and socialize rather than sit at home with a book. Then, the pandemic forced me into near isolation. As the world started to reopen, I considered what I wanted to do with my life, and drawing from my husband's drive and a dream that I had when I was a teen, I decided to go back to school to become a librarian. It is five years later, and I have completed my Associate's in Library Science and my Bachelor's in English, both with a 3.9 GPA. I am currently working on my Master's in Library Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I work at two public libraries, and my goal is to become a programming librarian, planning presentations and activities to engage my community.

Libraries have changed my life. That may seem like hyperbole, but for me, libraries have become a symbol of everything that a community can be: welcoming and supportive. In November of 2019, my husband passed away after a series of illnesses. I was left alone, trying to figure out my new normal. I turned to my local library to attend programs and reengage with my community. Within months, the world shut down due to COVID-19. Thankfully, libraries across the United States opened their doors virtually, offering Zoom presentations that kept me from feeling isolated. As COVID restrictions lifted, my engagement with my local library increased as I attended book discussions and technology classes. In 2021, my employer began restructuring. Although I was still employed, I began to think deeply about my late husband and what I wanted to do with my life. I returned to school and started a new career path to become a librarian. In 2023, I left my middle-class job with benefits to work in my public library. The pay is not the best, but I feel emotionally fulfilled like never before. Over the last three years working in public libraries, I have focused on helping others and giving back to the community that supported me emotionally when I needed it most. I have designed presentations that range from job interview prep to senior engagement. I regularly assist patrons in dire need as they apply for financial assistance to avoid losing their homes or so that they have food on the table. Most recently, I helped a patron who had lost her niece to a sudden heart attack. The patron had been tasked by her family to create the obituary and funeral program. I consoled her and taught her how to use software to create a beautiful funeral program and a photo collage. The patron was so grateful for my assistance in her time of need that she returned after the funeral to give me a thank-you card. I am currently enrolled in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's library school after obtaining my Associate's in Library Science and Bachelor's in English, both with a 3.9 GPA. My goal for the coming years is to obtain my Master's in Library Science so that I can become a programming librarian. I have so many ideas that I would like to implement that would make my community stronger, such as offering dementia care resources, career prep, financial preparedness presentations, health and wellness activities, and mental health strategies. I thank you for offering this scholarship opportunity, as it would assist me greatly in reaching my goal.

When I was a teen, I spent my lunch and study hall periods in my school library. At first, it was because I was avoiding bullies and because I like to read. As I became more comfortable and found my people, other library kids and the librarian, I started to come out of my shell. I volunteered to work in the library shelving books and checking kids out. The librarian, Mrs. Hauge, became a mentor and gave me my first paid job helping with a library reorganization. Thanks to her, I wanted to become a librarian after I graduated high school. Unfortunately, life got in the way and sent me on a different path. Twenty years later, I found myself at a crossroads. My husband had passed away, leaving me a young widow, and I was in a career that no longer fit. I looked back on my life and remembered the feeling of community that the library brought and the encouragement that Mrs. Hauge had given me. The long-ago spark of longing to become a librarian was flamed, and I returned to school to become a librarian. My goal to become a librarian has been about more than just books. It is about bringing together community and giving others a sense of belonging. I now work in libraries, although not quite where I want to be yet. I have also collected coworkers that I draw inspiration from. My coworker Brenda lead a book discussion group, the first activity that I did to socialize after my husband passed away. My coworker Denise does crafts and presentations that appeal to often overlooked minorities. As someone now working on her Master's in Library Science, I tell myself, "I want to be like them when I grow up." My classwork has taught me essentials like creating a budget and ordering books, but it has also fostered discussions about helping the un-housed community and supporting seniors. I have been able to implement much of what I have learned into my job. So far, I have tried to learn as much as I can from those around me to see what appeals to my community, and I keep my eye out for missed opportunities to engage. I organize a concert series and Bingo games that appeal to seniors and can attract a hundred people, and I have organized craft nights that attract everyone from moms to couples on a date night. I have educated about AI scams on the internet and services that the library offers to save patrons money. My goal is to play a bigger role in my library by offering more of these types of programs and making my library a welcoming space. Public libraries offer a unique opportunity to bring people together and provide a "third space" that doesn't expect payment for entry. They offer a place to find answers, a place for entertainment, and a place to just exist. My goal is to provide community who have had a difficult time finding it, like I did when I was a bullied high schooler who decided to spend her lunch and study hall times in the library.

November second of 2019 changed my life forever when my husband and partner of fourteen years passed away from a prolonged illness. I had spent four years acting as a caregiver and working full-time while my husband was in and out of the hospital and doctor’s appointments. I even donated a kidney to him in an attempt to get back to our normal life. While the transplant provided temporary relief, we were never able to achieve our pre-illness normalcy. Then, the COVID pandemic knocked the world off kilter, and my employer started restructuring. I was forced to lay off some of my employees, and I realized that this career path no longer fit what I wanted from life. While reflecting on my past and what I wanted for my future, I remembered working in my school library as a student and my urge to become a librarian. I wasted no time in researching what it would take to achieve this goal. Within the week, I was registered for classes at my community college after an almost twenty-year break, and one month later, I was in classes. I initially worried that I was too old, surrounded by students half my age, learning in a mostly online environment, and with a couple decades until retirement. Did I even have it in me to handle my classwork while working? As I emersed myself in my classwork, I became confident that this is what I was meant to do. If I could balance managing my husband’s care with my work, I could handle some classes while working. While geared toward the skills necessary to running a library, many of the lessons were reminiscent of skills that I already possessed from previous jobs: customer service and needs assessments. Realizing my internal strength gave me the courage to return to school. I am now four years down my new career path. I have obtained my Associate’s Degree in Library Science and my Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing, and I am on my way to a Master’s in Library Science. I have earned my spot with two honor societies, and I have transitioned to working part-time in two local public libraries and am enjoying working with my patrons. I love enriching my community with programs and presentations that I design, and I feel a sense of accomplishment when I help someone with a task that they think is insurmountable such as filling out online forms or learning a new skill. I have come so far in the last four years, and I know that my husband would be proud of me.

Despite being born with some of the worst luck, my husband, Mike, made his own good luck. Mike had Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic condition that gave him a persistent cough and left him vulnerable to illnesses and infections. He spent long stretches of time in the hospital for treatments. Despite his small size and potential for injury, he was active in sports and surrounded himself with friends. By the time I met him, he had already received a double-lung transplant from an anonymous donor and a kidney transplant from his father. If you ever met Mike, you probably wouldn’t realize that he was a bionic man with replacement parts and a thrice repaired knee. You would probably see a golfer trying for his next hole in one, a bowler out for his next 300 game, or an outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing at the lake. You would see an uncle that spoiled his niece and an animal lover who fed squirrels and babied his pet cats. In 2016, we found out that he was experiencing kidney failure again. Fortunately, I was a match, and I was able to donate a kidney to him in 2017. Mike was always pushing himself beyond his limitations. In his last few years of life, he started to have health issues that kept putting him in the hospital. When he was freed from the hospital, he would insist that we go on nature walks, even if it meant hauling around an oxygen tank. He was even golfing just a couple of days before he went into the hospital for the final time. By observing my husband in his sickness and health, I learned how I should treat life. Time is not meant to be wasted; dreams are meant to be followed, and there are no excuses. Since my husband’s passing in 2019, I have reevaluated what I want from life. I have grown closer to my family and regularly spend time with them. I don’t let not having a companion stop me from traveling and have taken a solo cross-country trip and am currently planning an international trip. My biggest change is that I have gone back to school so that I can switch career industries. When my employer started restructuring during the pandemic, I asked myself what I would rather be doing. I remembered my high school dream of becoming a librarian, and that is what I decided to do. I am now three years into my journey, and I am applying for my Master’s program. Even though there have been days when I was burned out and ready to throw in the towel, I have pushed myself like my husband always would. I am currently completing my BA with a 3.9 GPA and am looking forward to my next chapter.

My heart clenched as I said my final goodbye to my husband. We had been together for fifteen years, meeting at work and getting to know each other as we each experienced new things. He pushed me out of my shell and took me on adventures, and I got him to slow down once in a while and savor life. In his last couple of years of life, I was his advocate who made sure he went to all of his doctor’s appointments and took his meds, and he made sure that we still went out and did things, not just living in his illness. In the wake of my husband's death, I threw myself into my work, and just a few short months later, COVID-19 shut down my world and forced me to work from home, not leaving the house for days at a time. My employer then started doing layoffs, and I realized that I no longer enjoyed my work. In my grief, I looked deep into my soul to decide what I wanted to do with my life. I was nearing my forties and was newly widowed. I remembered my high school dream of becoming a librarian, something that got derailed when I was nineteen and put school on hold so that I could work full-time to support myself. I thought of the good things that I had seen from my local libraries: book discussions that got me out of the house after my husband passed, snacks for needy children during summer vacations, and computer classes for the less-than-tech-savvy. I decided to start my journey toward becoming a librarian to help make a difference in my community. I enrolled in my local community college to get my Associate's degree in Library Science while I was still working full-time. A year later, I received my own pink slip, but rather than crying, I added another class to my schedule and started working part-time at my local library. I am now almost four years into my educational journey and am wrapping up my Bachelor’s in English and Creative Writing and have applied for my Master’s program while working two part-time jobs in different libraries. I have maintained a 3.9 GPA and am part of the Phi Theta Kappa and Sigma Tau Delta honor societies. I look around at my classmates, many of which are a decade or two younger than me, and I smile because I am a step closer to my goals. I am starting to create library programs that strengthen my community and helping community members on a daily basis. While the first thing that comes to most minds when thinking about libraries is a book, I know that the real heart of any library is the librarian who makes it all happen. I am now 44-years-old, an age when I should be saving for my retirement, but instead, I am preparing to pay for graduate school. This scholarship will help lessen the burden as I approach my ultimate goal of earning my Master’s Degree in Library Science so that I can work in a full-time position that develops library programming and builds a stronger community.

“I’m sorry, you can’t buy this car. We have this other car that you can get with only a 13% interest rate.” I was 19 years old, and my car had broken down and was not worth repairing. I had a steady job and was ready to buy a moderately priced car with a loan, but as a young person without credit, no one would lend me money without charging an arm and a leg. Even with a cosigner, I was charged more interest than someone with credit. This is when I realized the importance of building my credit. Because I needed a car, I took the loan with the high interest rate, but I vowed to build my credit so that I would not find myself in that situation again. My parents had never discussed money and credit with me beyond saying, “Don’t spend money that you don’t have.” I started by researching which factors impact credit scores and how I could smartly build credit. I got a credit card that I used responsibly and paid off every month. I paid my car loan on time, and after a few months, I refinanced for a better rate. A few years later, I was engaged and looking to purchase a home. My tastes are simple, so I knew that I didn’t need much, but I was tired of wasting money on rent. Thankfully, I had built my credit enough that I was able to get the best interest available at the time. My research and hard work managing my budget were my best financial decisions because this process literally saved me thousands of dollars on my mortgage. After working for years in an emotionally draining industry, I am following my passion. I am now preparing to earn my Master’s in Library and Information Science so that I can be a librarian, a position that I feel is invaluable to a community. As a librarian, I can educate and uplift so that others can thrive. My goal is to work in a position as a head librarian or programming librarian so that I can interact with my community and develop presentations that will improve the lives of those around me. I hope to do this without incurring too much debt, but even if I do have to take on some loans, I am confident that the lessons I have learned along the way will help me manage that debt and maintain my credit score.

"As you know, on this side of the Wall / we are Yooks. / On the far other side of this Wall / live the Zooks." In Dr. Seuss's The Butter Battle Book, two groups engage in an escalating war, a war based on whether to butter bread on the top or the bottom. As a child, I sat cross-legged on my bed reading the story full of Yooks and Zooks separated by a wall and engaged in an arms race consisting of a “tough-tufted prickely Snick-Berry Switch” and “a triple-sling jigger” and culminating with the “Big-Boy Boomeroo”. As a child reading about characters ready to “Do or die!” over how to butter their bread, I saw that violence is not the answer, even for something as egregious as buttering bread the wrong way. Published in 1984, the story is a symbol of the Cold War, but to me, the story of Yooks and Zooks also shows that no matter how we butter our bread, we all have similarities and insecurities. Rather than building walls and pointing weapons, we should look for that common ground. In this scary world filled with uncertainty, I decided to switch career paths for something better. Leaving a career in telecom, I went back to school with the goal of working with my community as a librarian. Librarians not only get to share their love of books, but they also get to educate and mold the community. Much like the pebble tossed into a pond and creating ripples, I want to be a librarian who spreads compassion and good deeds. Two years ago, I started working in a pair of libraries while I work towards my Master’s in Library Science and a full-time position that would have more impact. In the meantime, I work as a part-time librarian in a pair of public libraries so that I can help those who need it the most. Rather than starting wars with people because of differences, I search for similarities and educate to close the distances. I tear down walls with engaging programs that unite my community, and I uplift to alleviate insecurity. I use kindness to soften the toughest of grumps, and I use smiles to distract from life’s lumps and bumps. The world may seem like someone is ready to drop a “Big-Boy Boomeroo”, but from my little corner of the world, I am digging in my heels and rallying my community to prevent that seeming inevitability. With our country and world divided, shouting "I'll blow you... into pork and wee beans! / I'll butter-side-up you to small smithereens!", I am shouting, “Wait!” "Grandpa! I shouted. "Be careful! Oh, gee! / Who's going to drop it? / Will you . . . ? Or will he . . . ?” / "Be patient," said Grandpa. "We'll see. / We will see . . . "

Wicked is the heartwarming story behind The Wizard of Oz, bringing to life the story of the Wicked Witch of the West. Beyond its original intent, Wicked holds a special place in my heart because my late husband and I had one of our early dates watching this musical. Like Elphaba and Glinda, when I first met my future husband, we didn’t quite mesh. We came from different backgrounds and didn’t understand each other. He was loud and outgoing, and I was more reserved. He played sports, and I had my head in a book. As we got to know each other, we began to appreciate the other’s perspective and way of doing things. Like the song “Popular”, we had an impact on each other. I grounded him and made him responsible, and he brought me out of my shell. We became close and started dating, and when Wicked came to Chicago, he got tickets for us. I had read the book by Gregory Maguire, and he knew that I would love the music. Like a tornado touching down, my husband was struck by illness. Instead of a little girl named Dorothy tracking down Elphaba, my husband experienced kidney failure. Together, we fought the illness, and I donated my kidney, hoping to wave a magic wand and make him better. Unlike Elphaba in the play, my husband didn’t get to escape Dorothy. Like Glinda, I was left mourning the loss of a friend. While some people may think of Wicked as a musical with catchy tunes and a story of girl power and friendship, for me, it is a reminder of the good times I had with my late husband and how strong our relationship was able to become. In the wake of my husband’s death, I am left behind, but as the final song says, “I have been changed.”

As the first cords of music played, the lights came up, revealing a band that I had listened to since childhood. I would scream, but my voice was already gone thanks to an unfortunately timed case of laryngitis. This Godsmack concert was an unexpected surprise on a highly anticipated trip four years in the making. My journey to this moment started in November of 2019. My husband and partner of fifteen years passed away after a series of illnesses and complications from Cystic Fibrosis which included kidney failure. The kidney failure was temporarily remedied when I donated a kidney to him in 2017, but that proved to be only a temporary fix as other issues emerged. In 2020, my New Year's resolution was to travel more as my husband would have wanted. I planned a series of trips around the country to visit friends and relatives that I hadn't seen in years. Things were looking up as I made plans for my first trip, a business trip from my home in Chicago to Greenville, SC to visit my employees that I had never seen in person. I had worked with these people for between a few months and a couple of years via IM, email, and video chat but had never shaken their hands. With my employer's approval, I eagerly booked my airfare and hotel room. An itinerary of meetings and dinners was forming, and I was full of excitement. Within days, the world came to a stop thanks to CoVID-19, and I was forced to indefinitely postpone my travel plans. Over the next couple of years, life continued as pandemic lockdown life did. I worked from home, and thoughts of travel became a pipedream. My staff and I became close as I worked my way through the grief of losing my husband, and we weathered the storm of a company in financial turmoil. Through several rounds of layoffs, my team was slowly dismantled, and in 2023, several of my team members and myself were laid off, hammering the final nail in the coffin for our work. As 2024 started, I vowed that I would finally take that trip that was aborted in 2020, but it would now have a different meaning. Rather than a business trip to meet with employees, it was a trip to meet with longtime friends. We had been there for each other through breakups, work drama, and my grief, and I would not just shake their hands; I would give them each a hug. "Where does the concert come in?" you may ask. When I set my travel dates, it happened to coincide with the Godsmack concert that one of my friends/former employees was to be attending. Through luck or serendipity, I was able to get a last minute ticket next to him, and we were able to rock-out with one of our favorite bands despite my lack of voice. Even though I had been to a couple of small concert festivals, this was my first show in a major venue. We may have been in the nose-bleeds, but I had the time of my life listening to the show and bonding with my friend. As the show wound-down, the lead singer, guitarist Sully paused to talk about their charity, The Scars Foundation, a charity that addresses mental health. He mentioned many artists that are gone too soon due to their struggles, like Kurt Cobain and Chester Bennington. It made me reflect on my own struggles since my husband's death and feel grateful that I was surrounded by people like my employees turned friends.

The year of 2020 was devastating, and it was a turning point that changed my life. On November 2, 2019, I lost my husband and partner of fifteen years. In the years leading to his death, he endured complications from Cystic Fibrosis that included kidney failure, placing him on dialysis until I was able to donate a kidney. I was the primary wage earner and managed his healthcare. Following his death, I started 2020 with the resolution to travel and enjoy life like my husband would have wanted. I planned to visit friends and family and reconnect. Then, the pandemic shut everything down within days of booking the tickets and hotel for my first trip. My financially struggling employer began restructuring, shifting responsibilities to do more with less and laying off people. I was put in the heartbreaking position of delivering some of these blows. With my first round of layoffs, I realized that as much as I enjoyed the other aspects of my career, I could not put myself through the emotional turmoil of eliminating people's livelihoods after years of service. I wanted to do something better for myself and the world. I reflected on my ambitions and considered what I really wanted to do with my life. A far off memory of my high school graduation emerged; I had graduated with the dream of becoming a librarian. Life events had side-tracked me at the time, but I now was determined to make that dream a reality. In the years since high school, the library had taken on an even bigger meaning for me. The book Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron showed me a behind the scenes view of how a library can help a struggling community by providing education and resources to the vulnerable and under-served. My local library had also become a re-entry point for me as I was trying to find myself as a new, young widow, joining social groups and participating in activities rather than sitting home alone in my grief. I did some research and went back to school, enrolling in my local community college. I was one year into my two year degree when I became another victim of the layoffs, but I wasn't going to give up. I took a part-time position at my local library and continued my classwork. The financial hit would be worth it when I would be able to deliver the services that I wanted to as a librarian. One year later, I have completed my Associate's Degree in Library Science and am continuing my journey toward my Master's. I am working as a part-time librarian and doing what I can for my community. So far, I have built presentations and programs such as job interview tips and a writing workshop, and I have built a partnership with the local humane society, organizing a pair of events to educate about proper dog and cat care and drive adoption. I assist patrons daily with tasks like applying for financial aid or looking for a job. Being a librarian isn't just a career choice; it is a passion to improve the world. This scholarship would ease some of the financial worry I have as I work as a single woman in an underpaid profession and pay for school. Philately is a fascinating hobby that can cover a variety of interests. Stamps are used around the world and represent many topics, from history to pop-culture. It can also be an investment in the future as it is a tangible good that will last.

The year of 2020 was devastating for many, and for me, it was a turning point that changed my life. On November 2, 2019, I lost my husband and partner of fifteen years. In the four years leading to his death, he had endured complications from Cystic Fibrosis that included kidney failure, placing him on dialysis until I was able to donate a kidney to him. I was the primary wage earner and managed his healthcare. In the wake of his death, I started 2020 with the resolution to travel and enjoy life like my husband would have wanted. I made plans to visit friends and family around the country and reconnect, but then, the pandemic shut everything down within days of booking the tickets and hotel for my first trip. My employer had already been experiencing some financial difficulties, and they began restructuring, shifting responsibilities to do more with less and laying off people. I was put in the heartbreaking position of delivering some of these blows. With my first round of layoffs, I realized that as much as I enjoyed the other aspects of my career, I could not put myself through the emotional turmoil of eliminating people's livelihoods after years of service. I wanted to do something better for myself and the world. I reflected on my ambitions and considered what I really wanted to do with my life. A far off memory of my high school graduation emerged; I had graduated with the dream of becoming a librarian. Life events had side-tracked me at the time, but I now was determined to make that dream a reality. In the years since high school, the library had taken on an even bigger meaning for me. The book Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron showed me a behind the scenes view of how a library can help a struggling community by providing education and resources to the vulnerable and under-served. My local library had also become a re-entry point for me as I was trying to find myself as a new, young widow, joining social groups and participating in activities rather than sitting home alone in my grief. I did some research and went back to school, enrolling in my local community college. I was one year into my two year degree when I became another victim of the layoffs, but I wasn't going to give up. I took a part-time position at my local library and continued my classwork. The financial hit would be worth it when I would be able to deliver the services that I wanted to as a librarian. One year later, I have completed my Associate's Degree in Library Science and am continuing my journey toward my Master's. I am working as a part-time librarian and doing what I can for my community. So far, I have built presentations and programs such as job interview tips and a writing workshop, and I have built a partnership with the local humane society, organizing a pair of events to educate about proper dog and cat care and drive adoption. On a daily basis, I assist patrons with tasks like applying for financial aid or looking for a job. Being a librarian isn't just a career choice; it is a passion to improve the world.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who loved stories. She almost always had her nose in a book, and when she wasn't reading, she was building her own fantasy world filled with creatures on crazy adventures and love stories between personified animals. Her family would go camping, and her favorite activity was sitting around the campfire so that they could tell ghost stories. Okay, that girl was me. For me, writing has been an outlet. Sometimes, it has been a creative outlet as I made up those crazy adventures and personified animals. Think of a mad-cap road trip escapade starring a family of squirrels. Sometimes, it was how I figured out growing up as I wrote stories about other tweens and teens facing issues that I was experiencing or things that I wished I could experience. My favorite story was about a girl that tries to attract the attention of her crush by coloring her hair green, but her hair gets wet, causing the color to run and turning her green. When I got older, I used writing to escape the bland reality of whatever retail job I was working. I wove bits of reality with stories of zombies taking over the world and heroes that were going to rebuild society. Five years ago, I lost my husband to an ongoing illness, and I used my writing to work through my grief, journaling to remember the good times and sort out the trying times. Two years ago, I decided to switch career paths from telecom to work in a library with the goals of helping my community and expressing my creativity. A step in that transition is obtaining my Master's Degree in Library Science, but along the way, I am earning my Bachelor's Degree in English. I am learning what elements make good writing and different ways to express myself. In my day-to-day life, I use my writing to create programming for my library and to engage library patrons. I am working on a murder mystery themed event that would involve a pod cast telling the fictional story of a murderer on the loose in the library and a scavenger hunt to find the murderer. I am even creating a writing workshop to share the writing bug! I would love to get to a point where I can perfect my writing and publish a novel (or a series of novels). Story telling has been a constant in my life, and my writing has evolved from a first grade story about a dinosaur in a haunted castle to an epic zombie apocalypse penned in my twenties. Writing will continue to be a constant in my life until I am an old lady penning my memoire.

If someone asked me when I was a child what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would answer that I didn't know, but I wanted to make a difference in my community. My goal was altruistic, but I wasn't quite sure how to implement it. When I was in high school, I worked in my school library, and a puzzle piece fell into place. Although I have always enjoyed reading, the library wasn't just about books. It was a place to come together, and it was the one place where I had internet access since I did not have internet at home. The school librarian was like a mentor to me, providing encouragement along with her book recommendations. As I reached adulthood, I worked jobs in customer service and technical support, sharpening my people skills, learning to communicate with a variety of people, and assisting people when they needed it the most. Two years ago, I got my calling, almost like a religious calling involving flashbacks to what libraries have meant to me. I dove back to school to get my degree in Library and Information Science so that I could work in my local public library, impacting my community in the best way I know how. My goal is to be a librarian that bolsters my community through building engaging and educational programming along with offering one-on-one assistance on a daily basis. In my journey to my Associate's Degree in Library and Information Science, I came to appreciate libraries even more. Libraries bridge the digital gap, offering internet and technology access without extra fees. They are a safe space for the vulnerable and a meeting place for community. They are a source of knowledge without the expectation of tuition, and they adapt to community needs. During the Covid 19 pandemic, many libraries pivoted to offer digital resources like e-books and Zoom presentations to help those shut-in. Balancing school with working full-time, I recently earned my Associate's Degree in Library and Information Science with a 3.9 GPA, and I am continuing my educational journey toward my Bachelor's Degree. Last year, I made the career leap and am working in a pair of libraries. I am getting the ball rolling with programs to attract and uplift patrons: a job interview prep presentation, a partnership with the local humane society to promote adoption and educate about pet care, and writer's workshops. I am making everyday connections with patrons to keep them coming back, making them comfortable and providing encouragement like my high school librarian did for me years ago. I assist patrons with printing paperwork that could prevent foreclosure on their homes and build resumes that could help them start new careers. I find cookbooks that will help patrons manage their diabetes, and I assist students looking for reliable resources for homework. For me, the library has been a place of trust and uplifting, and with my degree, I will continue that legacy. I love my library and aim to share that love with others.

As a librarian, I have seen #BookTok bring a voice to smaller authors who might have gone unnoticed amongst the glut of titles from authors like James Patterson, Danielle Steel, and Stephen King. #BookTok has helped me form my reading list, and as I approach the idea of my "perfect bookshelf", I think of the age-old question of what would I bring to a deserted island if I could only carry so much. The first book I would select is How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley. Clare Pooley includes a large cast of characters from different walks of life, weaving them together to form a sometimes silly, sometimes heartfelt story that hits a lot of feelings. How to Age Disgracefully includes senior pensioners who have shady pasts and questionable presents, a character with low self-esteem and a marriage on the rocks, and a high-school-aged single father, all on a mission to save the community center from demolition. It is a raucous story the shows the growth of unlikely friendships and the power of togetherness. The second book I would select is The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella. Kinsella is a master of fish out of water stories with a female main character escaping her normal life and finding her true self in unlikely circumstances. In The Burnout, Sasha has been pushed to a mental breakdown due to a horrible work environment. At the urging of her mother, she decides to visit a favorite vacation destination she hasn't been to since she was a child. She finds a resort that is hanging on by a thread, and in helping the resort find a new way to survive, she finds her true passion and a new love interest. This book has humor, romance, and a bit of a mystery that slowly reveals itself. The final book I would place on my ideal bookshelf is A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost. A Very Punchable Face is Colin Jost's memoir, laying out the progression of his life from childhood antics to longest running Weekend Update anchor for Saturday Night Live. He is self-deprecating, spilling the beans on stupid things he has done while heaping praise on his castmates. He makes the honorable point that he will not trash the people around him, and he packs-in anecdotes and jokes that leave me laughing out loud. Each of the books I have selected uses humor as it delivers a more serious message. They show relationships between people and have enjoyable characters. They keep me in suspense, wondering whether the characters will save the community center or the hotel, and they fill me with emotions as I see into the characters' lives. They also have layers that include details I may not have seen on first read that would keep things interesting on a repeat read.

His name is John Coffey, "like the drink, but not spelled the same", and he is a black man on death row for the murder of two little blond girls. And he can perform miracles. The Green Mile by Stephen King is a story that uses racism and religious imagery to question the prison system and the death penalty. The story is set in the racist south of 1930s Louisiana, and when two girls disappear, dogs are used to track them. Shreds of bloody clothing mark the trail, and the giant of a man, John Coffey, is found cradling the bloody bodies of the girls and crying, "I couldn't help it" (King). With no other suspects or statements, "I couldn't help it" is interpreted as an admission of guilt, and Coffey is convicted of murder and sent to The Green Mile, a nickname for death row due to the color of its flooring. Originally published as six novelettes in 1996, The Green Mile was adapted for the big screen in 1999, starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan. Casting was perfect, featuring not just Hanks and Duncan in the lead rolls but major award winners and future winners in supporting rolls such as James Cromwell as Hal Moores, Bonnie Hunt as Jan Edgecomb, Sam Rockwell as William "Wild Bill" Wharton, and Michael Jeter as Eduard "Del" Delacroix. Michael Clarke Duncan embodies the soulful character of John Coffey, his eyes acting as a window to that injured soul, crying tears of grief for the girls and all of the hurt he perceives in the world. The resulting picture was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Duncan, Best Sound, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film adaptation does an amazing job keeping the heart of the movie intact while trimming extra details included in the book. One such detail is a subplot set in the nursing home involving a too curious nursing home employee named Brad Dolan who reminds Paul of Percy Wetmore because of his callous cruelty. In the book, Brad shows an unhealthy fixation with Paul, constantly asking him where he has been, and at one point grabbing his wrist roughly. Instead, the film adds a moment that is a positive parallel between Paul's past and present as he watches the movie Top Hat, and the song lyrics, "I'm in heaven" makes him cry. This serves two purposes because it is a sweet reminder of death and the possibility of Heaven, and it is a movie that is shown to John Coffey as a treat before his execution. On a personal level, the story of The Green Mile has resonated with me, making me question the death penalty. There are some truly evil people in the world, like the character of Wild Bill, but there are also innocent people that get caught in the net of justice. Is the revenge against the guilty worth the possible deaths of innocents? Although it has some gruesome points, The Green Mile stands as a multi-faceted story addressing racism, unjustness in the legal and prison system, bullying, and religion, and it is a story with heart that translates well from novel to film.

Growing up, I always had a vivid imagination filled with colorful characters and insane adventures, and when I learned to read, I began to read almost any book that was available to me. I loved the creepy stories of R.L Stine and Alvin Schwartz, and as I read, I would plot how I would do things if I were the main character faced with oogie-boogies. I may not have run into literal oogie-boogies like vampires and demented puppets, but my hours with Goosebumps prepared me for some of the horrors of real life. When I was in fourth grade, my class read From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler by E. L. Konigsburg, and while experiencing the journey of Claudia and her brother Jamie, I learned to be resourceful. I still think of the pair collecting a partially used train pass from the wastebasket and fishing change from the fountain. When I was in fifth grade, all of the kids started reading How to Eat Fried Worms. When it was my turn to read this disgusting masterpiece, I absorbed it and learned determination. When I read The Giver by Lois Lowry in sixth grade, I learned about individualism and the costs of freedom. The Giver made such an impact on me that I returned to it as an adult and read the other three books of the series. As a twenty year old, I read Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World, and it changed my life in a way no other book has. I read Vicki Myron’s story of the abandoned, orange cat who lived in the library, but I also learned about what a library can do for a community. The story takes place in a rural, farming community in the 1980s. The economy was rough on farmers, so the whole town was impacted. The library was a resource, offering access to job assistance and materials that the community wouldn’t have had otherwise. This book lit a spark in me that simmered in the background of my life. Two years ago, I came to a turning point in my life where I knew that I needed to change careers. When I searched my soul to decide what I wanted to do, I remembered that spark created by Vicky and Dewey, and I went back to school for my degree in Library and Information Science. I now work part-time in two different libraries as I continue school. My goal is to work as a librarian who develops programs to engage and enrich my community. I continue to read a variety of books because I never know what my next inspiration will be.

Mental health is the bedrock of our lives. Whether we realize it or not, it influences all of our actions. Simple things like the amount of stress we are under and how we react to it can impact everything from the food we choose to eat to how quickly and efficiently we complete tasks. Major life events or physical conditions can have even more of an impact as people use situations to grow or react negatively. This is why it is important for everyone to recognize mental health as part of their overall health and make efforts to take care of themselves. By neglecting mental health, physical health can suffer with symptoms including hives, weight gain, headaches, ulcers, hair loss, and a plethora of other things that would make your average drug commercial jealous. Personally, I tend to be a very even but empathetic person. I have experienced trauma as I nursed my husband through a fatal illness, but I persevered by using my strengths to stay in control of what I could and recognizing when things were beyond my control. Under normal circumstances, I use small techniques like deep breaths to relieve stress and talk to friends (or sometimes myself) to work out problems. I practice yoga and try to eat healthy, but I don't give myself too much guilt if I slip and eat something bad. I also give myself goals to keep myself on-track. As an example, a few years ago, I set a goal that I wanted to pay off certain bills. I dedicated my spare mental energy to that by finding creative ways to make and save money and celebrated milestones until I hit that goal. Then, I decided to go back to school so that I could move to a more emotionally rewarding career. I laid out a plan of what classes I needed, how much time was needed, and what was needed financially. In a similar fashion, I have dedicated most of my time to school and am maintaining a 3.9 GPA, but I also make sure I have enough "me time" by taking my yoga breaks or a momentary diversion with a good book or an interesting YouTube video. By following these techniques, I have been able to process my grief from losing my husband and am working toward a brighter future. In my future career, I hope to help others with their mental health and wellness which will also give me a boost by giving me a sense of accomplishment.

As a loyal library user and future librarian, I have always been a varied reader of authors ranging from Dr. Seuss to Stephen King and from Janet Evanovich to Margaret Atwood. Through these authors' works, there are many lessons that I have learned through the years. First, thanks to Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham, I have learned not to be afraid to try new things and to listen to those with different opinions because they just might have a point. Dr. Seuss's Butter Battle Book taught me that things can escalate quickly and aren't always that serious. Stephen King has been a master class with a lesson in nearly every book: just because someone looks friendly like a clown, appearances aren't always what they seem; much like wanting to keep a pet alive forever, some wishes are best left ungranted, and be kind to others because you don't know what others are dealing with in their lives and if they may have psychokinesis powers that could burn down the school gym during prom. Alexandra Potter's Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up recently taught me that even adults can have coming-of-age stories. Elvira's memoir Yours, Cruelly, Elvira showed me that sometimes you need to fight against how others perceive you because you can't let others' unfair views hold you back. Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series has taught me that no matter how many cars get blown up and how many naked guys run through my life, I need to keep trying. Finally, Margaret Atwood's Handmaids books have taught me to not stand idly by as I see injustices and not to back down as rights are removed. Each of these books and many more have touched my life in a special way. After some sidetracks and heartbreaks, I am an adult returning to school to follow my passion and looking to contribute to my community in the best way that I know how, by taking these lessons to heart and passing them on to others. Not everyone is taught these lessons, and not everyone learns in the same way. My own life has included hospital stays with an ill spouse who left me a widow before the age of forty and several less-than-optimal jobs and a recent layoff leading to a mid-life career change. You need to learn what you can any way that you can, enjoy life, and keep at it until you persevere because you never know what life will hold.

Technology has invaded every aspect of our lives, whether it is the Keurig that brews the morning cup of coffee or the social media that releases serotonin and breeds anxiety. Thankfully, technology is also stepping in to improve access to affordable mental healthcare. According to NAMI, "1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year," and "1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year". On top of that, the Covid-19 pandemic has left many people suffering from lingering anxiety or fatigue. Psychiatric services are overwhelmed with long waitlists for many professionals. Now, many professionals are offering telehealth services so that they can treat people that would never be able to make it into an office due to physical limitations or proximity. There are also a plethora of apps to help with simple needs like meditation, mantras, yoga, or direct access to mental health services. While some forms of technology can be dangerous, it is now doing it's part to help those struggling with mental illness.

Seventeen years ago, I met the man who would become my husband. We worked together, and although we didn’t always get along at first, I grew to know and appreciate this man that told larger than life stories of his experiences that just couldn’t all be true: owning a boat, meeting celebrities, and being featured on the news among many others. In time, I discovered he had a rare genetic condition. Despite the obscene number of pills that he was prescribed, he lived an active life. With him, I was able to travel and meet new people. Five years ago, his good luck finally cracked, and his health went downhill. We went from weekend getaways to weeks in the hospital. I donated a kidney to him, and that stabilized him enough for a couple more years of golf and day trips, although we were never again able to long-distance travel. Two years ago, he passed away at the age of forty-seven. Through our relationship, I learned that I have to make the most of life because you never know how much time you have. Since my husband’s death, I have decided to go back to school to obtain a degree in Library Science. Through this, I will be able to work a career that I have longed for since I was young. I will finally do something that I truly enjoy and will make a mark in my community.

I started my college education twenty years ago, but a year into my journey, life got in my way when my fiance lost his job and I had to choose between working to support us and continuing my education. Like many people, I got sucked into the rabbit hole of working jobs that were just fine but not quite what I wanted to do. The biggest determining factor in my life has been my first job. Choosing my first job came down to luck as I had applications filled out with two employers: Radio Shack and Walmart. Radio Shack happened to call me back first, and it changed the course of my life. Rather than working in a "big box" environment with so much activity happening around me, I was able to work in a more specialized environment and able to learn about and develop a passion for technology. When my fiance lost his job and I paused my education, I went full-time and became a store manager for Radio Shack. Even after I left Radio Shack, I had that real-life experience of technology and leadership that was useful for getting into better jobs. Now, twenty years later, I can say that the rabbit hole that I have been down working everything from customer service to sales to repair technician and manager has been fulfilling in many ways, but I would like to get back to my original dream and finish my degree so that I can move on to my passion: Library Science.

It all started with Covid lockdowns and blankets for my cats. My mother taught me some basic crocheting with a child, but I never got that into it and never completed a project. I usually just made long yarn ropes. That changed in March of 2020 with the beginning of Covid. Cooped up in my apartment without much else to do, I started crocheting. I started small with blankets for each of my cats. By the fall, I had worked my way up to scarves and baby blankets. We are now a year and a half into Covid, and I have completed 3 cat blankets, several decorative face masks, 5 scarves, 2 baby blankets, and 4 full sized blankets. I have learned that when the world gets hectic, much like my cats, a bit of yarn makes me extremely happy. Throw in a crochet hook, and my mind is at peace.