When I was a little girl all I ever wanted to be was a librarian. Really! I told myself I could just sit and read all day (my favorite activity), and get paid for it. But as I grew up, moved away from Greensboro (my hometown), and went to college at Appalachian State University, I gradually developed a new career goal - become a travel journalist. You know, the type that travels the world with a suitcase in one hand and a camera in the other, taking pictures of different world cultures and landscapes and documenting people's stories through scribblings in journals later transcribed into blogs and books.
As an undergraduate history and anthropology major, I began expanding my travel journalist portfolio. I studied abroad in Urbino, Italy and completed a multimedia journalism project about ancient civilizations. I freelanced and interned as an editorial assistant for various regional lifestyle publications, including WNC Magazine, High Country Magazine, and Appalachian Voices, capturing the lifestyles of small mountain communities. I even worked as a seasonal NPS park ranger, first at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro for three summers, and then at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in Flat Rock for one summer, preserving these valuable pieces of Americana through tours and public programs. But while I relished my opportunity to share these people's stories with others, I quickly came to the realization that something very important was missing. In order to write about and truly understand these communities, I needed to be apart of a community myself.
And that's when I returned to my childhood dream of becoming a public librarian. Not only would I be surrounded by books and the written word (my first true love), but I would have a community of people with whom to share these stories. Plus, I can help people discover the power of books and information technologies that allow you to travel the world without ever leaving your chair! In recent years, I've found my niche in children's librarianship, first as a youth services assistant at Ashe County Public Library (2014-2015) and now as a senior children's library assistant at Cornelius Public Library (2015 to present). I love working with kids so much that I decided to earn my school library license as well. So now my options are even more open! Who knows where my future may take me, but I know the view out my library window is bright and many adventures await!
As an undergraduate history and anthropology major, I began expanding my travel journalist portfolio. I studied abroad in Urbino, Italy and completed a multimedia journalism project about ancient civilizations. I freelanced and interned as an editorial assistant for various regional lifestyle publications, including WNC Magazine, High Country Magazine, and Appalachian Voices, capturing the lifestyles of small mountain communities. I even worked as a seasonal NPS park ranger, first at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro for three summers, and then at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in Flat Rock for one summer, preserving these valuable pieces of Americana through tours and public programs. But while I relished my opportunity to share these people's stories with others, I quickly came to the realization that something very important was missing. In order to write about and truly understand these communities, I needed to be apart of a community myself.
And that's when I returned to my childhood dream of becoming a public librarian. Not only would I be surrounded by books and the written word (my first true love), but I would have a community of people with whom to share these stories. Plus, I can help people discover the power of books and information technologies that allow you to travel the world without ever leaving your chair! In recent years, I've found my niche in children's librarianship, first as a youth services assistant at Ashe County Public Library (2014-2015) and now as a senior children's library assistant at Cornelius Public Library (2015 to present). I love working with kids so much that I decided to earn my school library license as well. So now my options are even more open! Who knows where my future may take me, but I know the view out my library window is bright and many adventures await!