The iSchool (School of Library and Information Science) at Kent State University awarded a total of $36,000 in scholarships to 25 students in its Master of Library and Information Science (M.L.I.S.) and Master of Science in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management (IAKM) degree programs in 2016-17.
Scholarship recipients, who have already received their funds, will be recognized at the iSchool’s annual Celebration of Alumni and Student Success events on Thursday, April 20, in Columbus, at the iSchool site in the State Library of Ohio, for alumni, students and friends in southern/central Ohio, and on Tuesday, April 25, in Kent, at SLIS on the Kent Campus, for those in northern/northeast Ohio. Other honorees at the events will include alumni award winners, recent graduates, internship supervisors and graduate assistants.
Ruth Monnier of Tipp City, Ohio, has received the $1,000 A. Robert Rogers Memorial Scholarship, awarded on the basis of prior academic performance and potential for scholarly research. Monnier holds a B.A. in history from the University of Dayton, as well as a B.S. in education.
Enrique Caboverde, III, of Tampa, Fla., received the $1,000 Alumni and Friends Council Endowed Minority Scholarship, awarded based on capacity to achieve academic and professional goals and potential for leadership on campus or in the community. Caboverde holds undergraduate and master's degrees in music performance (classical guitar), from Florida International University. He is working as a Library Associate in the Cataloging Department in the Steven and Dorothea Green Library at FIU. His career goal is to serve as a music librarian for an academic institution.
Four students received H.W. Wilson Scholarships of $1,500 each. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of prior academic performance and accomplishments. The 2017 recipients are Cara Bolley of Defiance, Ohio; Angela Jameson of Streetsboro, Ohio; Brooke Meyer of Newport, Ky.; and Deborah Smith of West Hartford, Conn.
Bolley holds an undergraduate degree in digital media arts in the animation area from Huntington University. She is currently pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science degree at Kent State while working as the Youth Services Associate at the Defiance Public Library System. Her career goal is to be an influence in her community and make Defiance an even better place to live through her involvement at the library.
Jameson received an undergraduate degree in integrated language arts from Kent State University. She is currently pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science with a specialization in school library media from Kent State. Jameson is working as an English and journalism teacher and a publications adviser at Chagrin Falls High School. Her career goal is to work as a high school library media specialist and technology integration specialist.
Meyer has an undergraduate degree in sociology from Northern Kentucky University. She also attended the University of Cincinnati where she earned a Master of Education/Adult Literacy/TESOL. Currently, she is pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science degree at Kent State. Meyer previously worked as a lecturer at Qatar University located in Doha as well as at Bilgi University in Istanbul. Her career goal is to help libraries offer literacy/ESL programs for refugees or the newly immigrated or work with international students in academic libraries.
Smith earned her undergraduate degree in anthropology from Oberlin College and a master’s from New York University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science at Kent State, with coursework in family history, government and archival documents. Her career goal is to become a family history or government librarian.
Emily Stickel of Mount Vernon, Ohio, has received the $5,000 Health Informatics Leadership Fund Scholarship, awarded to students who have demonstrated outstanding health informatics leadership potential. Stickel holds an undergraduate degree in marketing from Mount Vernon Nazarene University with a minor in applied business technology. She is currently working as the Data Analyst for Mount Carmel Home Care while pursuing a Master of Science (health informatics concentration) at Kent State. Her career goal is to continue to show how health care informatics can help to hone an organization’s processes to match their goals.
Laura Anne Haskins of Seldovia, Alaska, has received the $1,000 J. Allen Oakum Memorial Scholarship, awarded on the basis of academic excellence, accomplishments, financial need and demonstrated desire to specialize in school librarianship. Haskins received an undergraduate degree in secondary science education from Western Montana College. She is currently pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in K-12+ school library media from Kent State, while employed as the Library Director of the Seldovia Public Library. Her career goal is to work as an elementary or high school librarian.
Sarah Gnoddie of Bedford, Ohio, has received the $2,000 Geauga West Friends of the Library Scholarship, awarded to a student pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science degree, with preference given to students who reside in Geauga County or Northeast Ohio and who demonstrate financial need.
Gnoddie also received a $1,000 James E. Cook Scholarship in Young Adult Librarianship, awarded to a student with a strong desire to specialize in teen librarianship and strong interest in young adult literature.
Gnoddie holds an undergraduate degree in early childhood education (with honors) and sports management with a concentration in recreation from the University of Mount Union. She is currently pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in teen library services at Kent State, while employed as the Youth Program Supervisor for Orange Community Education and Recreation (since October 2010). She hopes to become a library administrator or work regionally as a youth library programmer. In addition to typical library services, she would like to focus her career on providing free quality resources and progressive programming, such as makerspaces.
John Lortie of Cincinnati, Ohio, also received a $1,000 James E. Cook Scholarship in Young Adult Librarianship. He has an undergraduate degree in audio production from Ohio University and a master’s in public media. He is currently pursuing his Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in teen public librarianship from Kent State, while employed as the Senior Library Services Assistant at the Pleasant Ridge Branch Library. His career goal is to become a teen librarian within the public library sector.
Ali Krzton of Huntsville, Ala., has received the $1,000 Jesse H. Shera Memorial Scholarship, awarded on the basis of an excellent academic record and potential for future scholarly research and publication. Krzton received an undergraduate degree in evolutionary biology from Dartmouth College and a master’s in anthropology from Texas A&M University. She is currently pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in research data management at Kent State, while working as an editor for Due West Education. Her career goal is to work in scholarly communication, STEM or as a data librarian at a college or university.
Emily Patterson of Mansfield, Ohio, and Dominique Fuqua of Chicago, Ill., have each received a $2,500 Marian Porter Huffman Scholarship, awarded on the basis of a student’s potential for community and campus leadership as well as future scholarly research and publication.
Patterson holds an undergraduate degree in English education from Ohio Wesleyan University and a master’s in teaching and learning from The Ohio State University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science degree at Kent State, while working as the Media Specialist at Lexington High School. Her career goal is to become a certified high school librarian or a teen programming public librarian.
Fuqua’s undergraduate degree is in history from Roosevelt University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science degree at Kent State, while working as a government contractor. Her career goal is to resume working for the government as a means to achieving a leadership position in a federal agency, such as the Department of Justice.
Matthew Ray Dyer of Columbus, Ohio, and Carla Everstijn of Medina, Ohio, have each received a $1,000 Mary T. Kim Endowed Scholarship, awarded to students studying to become a library manager and/or researcher in library and information science.
Dyer holds undergraduate degrees in human resources management and business administration from Franklin University. He obtained his Master of Library and Information Science (2016) with a specialization in management from Kent State, while working as the Training Academy program director for the Ohio Office of Budget and Management. His career goal is to obtain a leadership position in a central Ohio public library or to promote library services within state government.
Everstijn received an undergraduate degree in international studies with minors in journalism and German from Butler University in Indianapolis. She also earned a Master of Social Work from Indiana University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science at Kent State, while working as a Library Associate for the Medina County District Libraries. Her career goal is to work with teens and adults and to become an acquisitions and collection development librarian.
Elisha Johnson of Pleasant Valley, N.Y., has received the $2,000 Petta and Ron Khouw Scholarship, awarded to students who best demonstrate an interest in reference librarianship or academic reference services. She has an undergraduate degree in psychology from Fordham University and an associate’s degree in liberal arts from Dutchess Community College. She is currently pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in reference librarianship at Kent State, while working at Pleasant Valley Free Library as a volunteer. Her career goal is to become a reference librarian and earn a Ph.D. in communication and information.
Angelina Bair of University Heights, Ohio, has received the $1,000 Priscilla L. Drach Children’s Librarian Scholarship, awarded to students who best demonstrate creativity, leadership and dedication to children’s librarianship through outstanding academic achievement. Bair holds an undergraduate degree in art history from Case Western Reserve University and an associate degree from Lakeland Community College. She is currently pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in youth services and special collections at Kent State, while working as a Library Associate Substitute at Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library. Her career goal is to become a children’s librarian within a public library and to continue researching children’s literature.
Wendy Marie Zarara Bromfield of North Olmsted, Ohio, and Shara Plough of New York City have each received a $1,000 Rose Vormelker Scholarship, awarded to students who show the most promise in the field of special librarianship.
Bromfield received an undergraduate degree in history from Hiram College and a master’s in history from Utah State University. She is currently pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in academic librarianship at Kent State, while working for the iSchool as a graduate assistant. She later hopes to combine her experience and education in the area of special libraries or academic libraries.
Plough holds an undergraduate degree in art and art history from the University of Iowa and a M.F.A. in studio art from the University of Arizona. She is currently pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science degree at Kent State University, while working as a Registrar for Sotheby’s. Plough hopes to work for the New York Public Library as an elder outreach/services librarian and to use this position to help popularize elder services in public libraries.
Kelly Conger of Stow, Ohio, has received the $1,500 Rowfant Club Annual Scholarship, awarded to a student in the bibliographic arts who embraces the love of books and the preservation of the written word. Conger holds a Bachelor of Arts in visual communication design from Kent State. She is currently pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in museum studies at Kent State, while working as a digital production designer at Jo-ann Fabric and Craft Store. Her career goal is to become an archivist for an art museum or special collections library.
Monica Wilson of Wickliffe, Ohio, has received the $500 Thomas Szudy Memorial Scholarship, a one-time scholarship given in honor of a recently deceased part-time instructor for the iSchool, awarded on the basis of academic excellence and a commitment to services to unserved or underserved populations. Wilson received an undergraduate degree in English with a concentration in creative writing from DePaul University. She had also studied abroad for five months while attending the University of Westminster in London, England. She is currently pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in teen services at Kent State while working as the Youth Services Associate at the Noble Branch of Cleveland Heights-University Heights Libraries (since February 2015). Her career goal is to continue learning how to become a stronger youth advocate and public servant and is dedicated to making a positive change through librarianship grounded in community, innovation and sincerity.
Four aspiring youth librarians have received $1,000 Vanita Scholars Youth Services Scholarships: Haneen Ali-Samad of Youngstown, Ohio; Keirstin Flythe, of Newport News, Va.; Kelsey Lupo of Las Vegas, Nev.; and Julie Phoenix of St. Louis, Mo.. Supported by generous gift from children’s book author Vanita Oelschlager (Vanitabooks.com) and husband, Jim Oelschlager of Akron, Ohio, the scholarship is awarded to current students who best demonstrate a program of study in children’s, young adult or school librarianship, good academic standing and an interest in working with children and/or young adults who face cultural, personal and/or environmental challenges in today’s society.
Ali-Samad received an undergraduate degree in linguistics with a minor in speech and hearing from Cleveland State University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in youth services at Kent State, while working as the youth services library assistant at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County (since February 2016). After graduation, she hopes to continue working for the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County as a youth services librarian to serve children coming from diverse backgrounds and help to foster a love of reading.
Flythe has an undergraduate degree in both Hispanic studies and English from the College of William and Mary. She is currently pursuing her M.L.I.S. with a specialization in children’s librarianship at Kent State, while working as a library teen program specialist for the Virginia Beach Public Library (since May 2013). She hopes to become a youth librarian after graduation.
Lupo holds an undergraduate degree in environmental studies from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. She is currently pursuing her M.L.I.S. with a specialization in youth librarianship, while working as a youth services assistant for the Las Vegas Clark County Library District. Lupo hopes to become a youth services librarian, a national parks librarian or a librarian for NASA.
Phoenix received an undergraduate degree in English from Fontbonne University. She is currently pursuing her M.L.I.S. with a specialization in youth services and public librarianship. Now, Phoenix is the Youth Services Specialist III at the St. Louis County Library at the Indian Trails Branch since August 2013. Through her chosen career, she hopes to make every child in her presence feel valued as they are.
The School of Library and Information Science (iSchool) at Kent State University offers a Master of Library and Information Science (M.L.I.S.) and Master of Science in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management (IAKM), with concentrations in health informatics, knowledge management and user experience design. In addition, the iSchool participates in an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in the College of Communication and Information. With more than 700 students enrolled, the iSchool has the largest graduate program at Kent State. Its M.L.I.S. is the only American Library Association-accredited master’s program in Ohio and is recognized by U.S. News and World Report among the nation’s top 20 LIS programs. For more information, visit ischool.kent.edu.