School's Out Forever! (?)

Wednesday, August 5, 2015,marked my last time in a GSLIS class.  I was so full of emotion and gratitude that I cried.  That's not hyperbole.  I actually cried.  It's been a dream come true to be a part of the GSLIS family, and it's something I am going to miss immensely.  I've been in the presence of greatness many times, whether it be with world-renowned faculty teaching me (Christine Jenkins and Carol Tilley to name ONLY two) or spending time with classmates who challenged me and pushed me to worker harder than I ever have before and inspired me to approach problems and topics from new angles.  I will think of them fondly and often as I make my way into my own library.  (Well, sort of my library...it really belongs to the kids, let's not forget!)

I had to take a few photos on that last day, so if you'll indulge me...

 

 One of my instructors, Betty Bush, would always do a trivia question at the beginning of class.  You could write down what you thought was the correct answer on a piece of paper, put it into a drawing, and whomever she would draw WITH THE CORRECT ANSWER would get a rubber duckie.  I was in her class for two consecutive semesters.  I NEVER won a duck.  She brought me this graduation duckie on my LAST CLASS.  And, THAT'S why I cried...in front of EVERYONE.

 With my two instructors for my last class.  Georgeann Burch, on the left, was also one of my advisors, and I had her in the Spring of 2015 for Youth Media Center.  The infamous Betty Bush is on the right.  I was told how awesome she is before I even got into the program, and I had her for Youth Fiction and Youth Informational Texts.  She's the one who brought me my duckie!

 On my way out.  :(

 Where I've spent the last two and a half years.

Four full semesters and two summer sessions later...here I am.  All done.  Smiling and sad at the same time.  As always, I am looking forward to the next stage of my life with GREAT excitement and anticipation.  

I hope GSLIS will welcome me back at some point.  I'd love to share my knowledge of the field with others.  Who knows?  Maybe after getting a few years under my belt as a school librarian I can be a guest lecturer.  (That would be aces!) 

After earning a Bachelor's Degree from (English/Education, 2002), a Masters of Education (C&I/Literacy, 2003), and Masters of Science (Library & Information Sciences, 2015)--all from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign--you might say school's out forever.  But, with me...well, you never know.  I don't think I have any desire to earn a PhD: research is not for me, and with my attention span, neither are countless dissertation revisions.  I might go for my Certificate of Advanced Studies in LIS, though.  In fact, I might have already made early plans with another school librarian buddy to do just that.  UIUC, you might not be done with me yet.  As for now, though, you've given me nothing but pleasure: challenging and rewarding coursework, inspiring mentors, and the ability to pursue my dreams (once again).  I thank you, dear Alma Mater.