Tag: alum

Alum: Matthew Monteith

Matthew

Matthew, a man with short brown hair wearing a grey t-shirt, stands in his kitchen.

Matthew is also an Illinois native from Southern Illinois, which he describes as a unique part of the state. He is a second-year student in his last semester of MSLISs program at the iSchool, hoping to go somewhere to use tech or to be a public librarian.

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk?
    • Co-workers including the full-timers
  • What is your favorite board/video game?
    • RimWorld
  • If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
    • Pacific Northwest
Seattle skyline from Kerry Park, Seattle, Washington. Photo credit: Diana Robinson, Flickr.
Seattle skyline from Kerry Park, Seattle, Washington. Photo credit: Diana Robinson, Flickr.
  • Where’s your favorite spot to hang out on campus/CU?
    • HopScotch Cafe/Help Desk area
  • If given the opportunity, what book would you choose to reread again for the first time?
    • The Lord of the Rings Collection
  • What would your superhero superpower be?
    • Shape shifting/Time control (tie)
  • What technology are you *really* most interested in for teaching/learning?
    • Collaboration Software, Google docs, etc.
  • If you were an animal, what would you be?
    • Raven
A raven wearing a party hat and sneakers.
  • Who would (or would you want to) play you in a movie about your life?
    • Robert Downey Jr, and/or Weird Al

Alum: Rachel Nelson

Rachel Nelson

Rachel, a woman with short blonde hair, sits at a restaurant table.

Rachel is a Champaign, Illinois native, who likes her hometown for its big city/small town feel. Rachel is a second-semester student at the iSchool, interested in going into archive or metadata curation and/or museums post-graduation.

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk?
    • Co-workers and the environment
  • What is your favorite board/video game?
    • Coup
  • If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
    • London, Edinburgh or Italy
Downtown Edinburgh. Photo credit: John Mueller, Flickr.
Downtown Edinburgh. Photo credit: John Mueller, Flickr.
  • Where’s your favorite spot to hang out on campus/CU?
    • The Literary (in downtown Champaign)
  • If given the opportunity, what book would you choose to reread again for the first time?
  • What would your superhero superpower be?
    • Know every language
  • What technology are you *really* most interested in for teaching/learning?
    • Notion (Collaborative tool)
  • If you were an animal, what would you be?
    • Otter
An otter wearing a sun hat.
  • Who would (or would you want to) play you in a movie about your life?
    • Emma D’Acry

Alum: Delaney McCoy

This week, as part of our Meet the Graduate Assistants series for 2023 at the iSchool Help Desk, we are highlighting fabulous Graduate Assistant Delaney McCoy! We asked Delaney about her hometown, animal alter ego, and favourite part of being a part of Team Awesome!

Delaney

Delaney comes all the way from Kansas City, Missouri; her favourite part about her hometown is the BBQ! She is a second-year student in her last semester of the MSLIS program, interested in pursuing a career as a museum librarian.

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk?
    • Learning new technologies

  • What is your favorite board/video game?
    • Tetris
  • If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
    • Northern California
  • Where’s your favorite spot to hang out on campus/CU?
    • Analog
  • If given the opportunity, what book would you choose to reread again for the first time?
  • What would your superhero superpower be?
    • Supersonic good hearing
  • What technology are you *really* most interested in for teaching/learning?
    • LibGuides
  • If you were an animal, what would you be?
    • Cat

  • Who would (or would you want to) play you in a movie about your life?
    • Rachel Weisz

Alum: Adam Hathaway

Continuing our Spring 2023 run of the Meet the Graduate Assistants series for the iSchool Help Desk, we have another spectacular GA spotlight for today: Adam Hathaway! We harangued Adam to get the scoop on the best board game, his favourite spot in Champaign-Urbana, and the new instruction tech tools he’s most excited about.

Adam

Adam, a man with short brown hair, smiles.

Adam came to the iSchool from Scandia, Minnesota, where his favourite part is the lakes. He is a second-year MSLIS student in his last semester, interested in working in a public or academic library upon graduation.

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk?
    • You can ask others for help
  • What is your favorite board/video game?
    • Monopoly/RimWorld
  • If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
    • Summer Home in New Zealand
A coast in New Zealand. Photo credit: Trey Ratcliff, Flickr.
Wild New Zealand. Photo credit: Trey Ratcliff, Flickr.

  • Where’s your favorite spot to hang out on campus/CU?
    • Home
  • If given the opportunity, what book would you choose to reread again for the first time?
  • What would your superhero superpower be?
    • Invulnerability
  • What technology are you *really* most interested in for teaching/learning?
    • Webtools
  • If you were an animal, what would you be?
    • Porcupine
A hedgehog wearing a hat.

  • Who would (or would you want to) play you in a movie about your life?
    • I don’t know. Myself or Robert Patterson. Jason Ralph was recommended

Alum: Hanna Foster

We’re back with another to get to know the GAs of Team Awesome at the iSchool Help Desk. Today’s fabulous GA feature is Hanna Foster! We asked Hanna all about her future career plans, ideal superpower, and her dream place to call home.

Hanna

Hanna Foster, a brown-haired, glasses-wearing woman wearing a blue and purple t-shirt.

Hanna is originally from Austin, Texas where she loves all of the fresh water to swim in! She’s a second year in her last semester at the iSchool, interested in pursuing public librarianship ideally working with teens and/or with a special interest in working with folks who are incarcerated.

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk?
    • The friends I’ve made while working here!
  • What is your favorite board/video game?
    • The New York Times Crossword
  • If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
    • The desert in New Mexico, because of cold desert nights and all the chile!
Cliff During Dusk, New Mexico. Photo credit: Pavel, Pexels.
Cliff During Dusk, New Mexico. Photo credit: Pavel, Pexels.

  • Where’s your favorite spot to hang out on campus/CU?
    • The Literary
  • If given the opportunity, what book would you choose to reread again for the first time?
  • What would your superhero superpower be?
    • Teleportation
  • What technology are you *really* most interested in for teaching/learning?
    • Interactive learning tools and other technologies that could be used during library programs
  • If you were an animal, what would you be?
    • Stingray
A stingray with a chef hat (Hanna likes to cook).

  • Who would (or would you want to) play you in a movie about your life?
    • Abbie Jacobson

Alum: Isaac Wink

We’re excited to introduce you to another wonderful iSchool Help Desk Graduate Assistant today, this time a familiar face in the Meet the Help Desk GAs series! We quizzed Isaac Wink on his go-to board game, favourite campus hang-out spot, and his job (!) plans after graduation.

Isaac

Isaac Wink, a glasses-wearing, brown-haired, bearded man wearing a plaid shirt.

Isaac is an Illinois native from Burban and a second-year graduate student in his last semester at the iSchool. As an MSLIS student, he was interested in pursuing academic librarianship, digital humanities, and lowering barriers to technology. After graduation, Isaac will be working as a Research Data Librarian at the University of Kentucky. He’s very excited for it!

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk?
    • Getting to meet professors, staff and what’s going on, events, free food!
  • What is your favorite board/video game?
    • Twilight Struggle
  • If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
    • Live in a bunch of house types, loft, cabin, tiny apartments in NYC etc.
An apartment complex, a cabin, and a group of high rise buildings.
  • Where’s your favorite spot to hang out on campus/CU?
    • The Blind Pig
  • What would your superhero superpower be?
    • Invisibility
  • What technology are you *really* most interested in for teaching/learning? Zoom is not an acceptable answer. 😀
    • Google Colab
  • If you were an animal, what would you be?
    • A duck.
A duck with a sprout on its head, sitting on a lily pad.
  • Who would (or would you want to) play you in a movie about your life?
    • Oscar Isaac.

Alum: Abbie Mills and Clelia Sweeney

At the end of the year, we say goodbye to two of our fabulous Graduate Assistants. Abbie Mills will be finishing up the librarian licensure program in the spring, which means that she’ll be busy student teaching, and Clelia Sweeney is graduating. I want to say more, but then I’ll start crying and it will either get really awkward in here or you’ll start crying too and no one wants either of those things.

Abbie Mills

Abbie is a townie who loves the local parks and all of the great local businesses. She’s excited to be attending graduate school in her hometown and seeing all of the growth and transformation of C-U. After graduation next spring she wants to she wants to get a job at a school where she can grow deep roots and create fabulous collaborations with the staff. Help students develop a love of reading? Yes, please!

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk?
    • I love getting to know more of iSchool community through this job than I would have otherwise! I’ve made a lot of my closest grad school friends via becoming friends with the other wonderful GAs I work with! And I really love getting to use Canva daily to generate social media content and ridiculous content for our amusement (for examples ask the Desk some time 🙂) I never thought I would be in a tech support job– but here I am and it’s awesome!
  • What is your second favorite book?
  • Based upon your current cooking repertoire, if you were a professional chef, what would your signature dish be?
    • Everything eggs (eggs with everything on hand that you want to toss in)
  • What would be the theme song of your life?
  • If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would you choose and why?
    • Hilda because she’s always having wonderful magical adventures and I want to meet her pet, Twig
  • If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
    • Good News Podcaster
  • What part of the s’more are you?
    • Dark Chocolate (with a hint of coffee) – high quality chocolate
  • Would you rather have a pet dinosaur or a pet dragon,  and what would you name it?
    • Dinosaur (Triceratops) named Squiggles

Clelia Sweeney

Clelia is from rural Vermont (two GAs from Vermont this fall, what are the odds?!), where she loves the loves the smell of fresh air, apple picking, grungy general stores, and the Quechee Hot Air Balloon Festival. She’s graduating next month and is looking forward to finding a job in Adult Services at a public library.

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk?
    • My favorite part about working at the Help Desk is getting to work with professors and staff on campus. I like feeling involved in iSchool life, especially because my program has been mostly remote due to COVID. Now that we’re working in person I can actually meet people face to face, which is a wonderful change.
  • What is your second favorite book?
  • Based upon your current cooking repertoire, if you were a professional chef, what would your signature dish be?
  • What would be the theme song of your life?
  • If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would you choose and why?
    • Todd from Bojack Horseman because he is really sweet and down for a good time
  • If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
    • Screaming (horror movies, voice over, haunted house, screaming contest winner etc.)
  • What part of the s’more are you?
    • Graham cracker
  • Would you rather have a pet dinosaur or a pet dragon,  and what would you name it?
    • Dragon named Buster

Alum: Krysta and Cheyenne

Remember Krysta and Cheyenne from their profiles last year? If you are like me, you’re curious and want to know more about them. Here you go! 

Krysta Bruce 

Krysta traveled from Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania to come to the iSchool. One of the things she loves about that area of PA is that you get to see a bunch of wild animals all the time, including foxes and bears. After graduation next spring, Krysta will pursue a career in archives. 

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk? 
    • I love the people I got to meet working at the help desk, (my coworkers). It has led me to making great friendships. 
  • Based upon your current cooking repertoire, if you were a professional chef, what would your signature dish be? 
    • Icelandic Ambrosia, pound cake with jam, vanilla pudding, and strawberries
      • This is a family recipe:
      • Slice pound cake into thin slices.  
      • Spread raspberry jam on it like it is toast. 
      •  Then spread vanilla pudding on top of jam.  
      • Then cut the strawberry into small pieces and cover the pudding. 
      •  Then repeat until the container is filled. 
      •  My family normally makes person servings in small containers, but could also be make in a big cake pan as well. 
      •  Cake and pudding can be made before so that it is easy to make (or store bought if time is tight).  
      •  (Strawberries can be swapped for blueberries and blackberries for strawberry allergies as well) 
  • If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would you choose and why? 
    • Scooby Doo because he is my childhood

  • If you were famous, what would you be famous for? 
    • Writing books  
  • What part of the s’more are you? 
    • Marshmallow 
  • Would you rather have a pet dinosaur or a pet dragon,  and what would you name it? 
    • Dragon named Smaug 

Cheyenne Puetz 

Cheyenne joins us from New Vienna, a small (no stoplights!) town in Iowa. She loves how the community comes together to support friends and neighbors. You need a hand? There’s someone who will help. With just over one semester left in the program, she wants to work as a youth services librarian in a public library after graduation. 

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk? 
    • My favorite part about working at the Help Desk are the kind and caring people I get to work with and helping faculty and students navigate online and in-person learning. 
  • If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would you choose and why? 
    • Cassie the Pink Dragon from Dragon Tales – Love her personality and as a child felt like I was Cassie. She was the voice of reason for Dragonland.
              
  • If you were famous, what would you be famous for? 
    • Famous author 
  • What part of the s’more are you? 
    • Graham cracker 
  • Would you rather have a pet dinosaur or a pet dragon, and what would you name it? 
    • Dragon named Arthur 

Alum: Katie Peterson and Mariah Tennell

Today we get to know new and different tidbits about two of our continuing Graduate Assistants: Katie and Mariah. 

Katie Peterson 

Katie joins us from Naperville, Illinois, where she loves exploring the Prairie Path on her bike (https://ipp.org/trail-map/ ). With a little over one semester left in the program, she’s hoping to work as a cataloger in an academic library after graduation. 

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk? 
    • My favorite part of working at the Help Desk is being a part of the social media team and writing about everyone’s cute pets. 
  • If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would you choose and why? 
    • Mr. Ratburn from Arthur because he is a teacher, is funny, and has a lot of interesting passions

  • If you were famous, what would you be famous for? 
    • Publishing a book that people liked 
  • What part of the s’more are you? 
    • Marshmallow 
  • Would you rather have a pet dinosaur or a pet dragon,  and what would you name it? 
    • Dragon named Cotton Candy 

 

Mariah Tennell 

Mariah joins us all the way from Gainesville, Florida, where she enjoys the beaches (and with winter coming, who isn’t dreaming about beaches right about now?). After graduation next spring, Mariah plans to become a metadata analyst.  

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk? 
    • Meeting new people and resolving tech issues. 
  • If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would you choose and why? 
    • Naruto Uzumaki because he never gives up

  • If you were famous, what would you be famous for? 
    • Baking 
  • What part of the s’more are you? 
    • Graham cracker – hold everything together 
  • Would you rather have a pet dinosaur or a pet dragon, and what would you name it? 
    • Dragon named Brownie 

 

 

Alum: Sam Boyle and Jonas Yela

In today’s Thursday Two-fer, we discover more about the last two of our new graduate assistants: Sam Boyle and Jonas Yela.

Sam Boyle

Sam is from Lindenhurst, Illinois, and while that’s only 15 minutes away from Six Flags, her favorite thing about the area is not the amusement park, but her friends and family. <3 She’s in her first year in the LIS program and plans to pursue a career in either information technology or policy after graduation.

  • What is your favorite part about working at the Help Desk?
    • My favorite part about working at the Help Desk is meeting so many people in the iSchool whether that be fellow GAs or staff/faculty or other students who come up to the desk. It’s nice to interact with people in person again!
  • What is your second favorite book?
  • Based upon your current cooking repertoire, if you were a professional chef, what would your signature dish be?
  • What would be the theme song of your life?
  • If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would you choose and why?
    • SpongeBob – he would be a lot of fun, no boring with him
  • If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
    • Being Taylor Swift’s top listener on Spotify
  • What part of the s’more are you?
    • Marshmallow
  • Would you rather have a pet dinosaur or a pet dragon,  and what would you name it?
    • Dinosaur named Gayle

Jonas Yela

Jonas grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His favorite thing about the city is the Lakefront—especially by the Milwaukee Art Museum and along the Bay View neighborhood. He’s in his first year at the iSchool, with various ideas about what direction he’ll head in after graduation. Archives/special collections? Academic Librarianship? PhD? So many great options!