I received my Bachelor of Arts from The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 2000 with a concentration in English literature. As a student at Penn, I worked in the Van Pelt Library as a front line reference desk work-study student, learning many skills needed to be a library assistant. I have always had a love of libraries: I describe them as my "happy place."
In my early 20's I began working as a paralegal at a law firm in Houston, Texas. An appellate lawyer saw my love for research and said "why don't you work in our law library?" Through associations like HALL (Houston Area Law Librarians) and AALL (American Association of Law Libraries), I was able to create professional learning networks and engage in professional development to build my skill set. I set my sights on an international law firm in Washington D.C. which touted itself as having over 110 library technologists and research staff. I became a Law Practice Technologist at this firm and continued honing my skills through on the job experience and professional development.
My career has taken me to project management for government contractors in DC and to working as a Case Manager at a women's homeless center in DC for many years. How did I find my way back to libraries?
I moved to Shanghai, China in July 2015 to work at Shanghai American School where my husband took a job. Immediately, I wanted to work in the school library. After several years, a position opened up and I found my way back to my "happy place" as a Middle School specialist and Library Assistant.
I now live in Kobe, Japan and am finishing my Masters in Library Science. I worked for the past three years as a K-12 Library Assistant at Canadian Academy. I enrolled in UNT's Masters of Information and Library Science graduate program in June of 2020 and I have been working on my degree part-time while working at the school library and have completed my teaching certification. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to work in a school library every day! I continue to work closely with my mentor, and the librarians give me experience teaching in the classroom, makerspace, and the library.
My goal is to become a full-faculty librarian at an overseas international school.