Happy New Year 2022 and welcome to my blog!
I am super excited to join you on this 14-week journey through the course LIS 5313 Digital Media-Concepts and Production. I look forward to working with each of you on our various digital media production projects and assignments, and I am sure we are going to learn new skills that will take us far beyond our wildest dreams.
As we begin this journey and get settled into our LIS5313 virtual class seats, we should probably get to know each other a little better, so let me start by telling you a little about me.
My name is Deidra Lynn Jones, but my friends and family call me Dee or Deidra Lynn. If I had to describe myself in three words, it would be LIFELONG LEARNER. I love to learn new things which I get my passion for education from my mom and Dad who were both educators. My parents taught my sister and I that education is the passport to a better life for ourselves. My grandmother (Sarah Christian) only went to the eleventh grade and my grandfather (Evans Christian) only went to the second grade, so I know I am standing on their shoulders because they scarified so much for me to have my virtual seat in this class.
I am from Statesboro, Georgia (Go Dawgs), but I have lived in Tallahassee, Florida since I was 6 years old. Ever since I was a young girl, I have been interested in film and media production. I even worked at WCTV Channel 6 for over 8 years. I wanted to be the next Spike Lee; however, to pay the bills, I became an IT project manager instead. Currently, I work for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) as an Enterprise Project Manager, and I am dedicated to continuing to grow both professionally and personally.
Also, I am working toward my Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) degree, and I have taken several courses in the MSIT program including LIS 5275 Usability Analysis and LIS 5487 Information Systems Management as well as a few other courses. I am hoping to complete the program by Spring 2023 semester and continue in my education towards a doctorate degree. I want to follow in my daddy’s footsteps. I have over 18 years of experience working as an IT project manager where I have assisted organizations in delivering diverse technology and business optimization projects. The Deidra’s Resume Project is my resume portfolio of my career. The website is under construction, and I hope to continue to improve it each year. My LinkedIn page is another resource that has information about my professional background and accomplishments.
Hi Deidra! You and I texted some during the first class and I am excited to get to visit with you a little more with this assignment! My middle name is Lynn also! Funny story – when I got married, I changed my name to Sheryl Swisher Hamm because Swisher was my maiden name and I wanted to keep a connection to the family name. Years later my mom said she thought I changed it because I didn’t like Lynn! Haha! Too funny!
I am with you on the “life long learner” track!! I love to read articles and watch news stories and human interest stories to learn new things! I taught elementary school in Houston and have been a substitute teacher for 13 years in Leon County. I am always learning new things in the classroom. And, of course, here I am back in school after 30+years!!!!
We moved here from Houston because my husband’s engineering firm, CDM Smith, won a contract with FDOT! It was a 3 year contract and we had the chance to move back, but we liked the small town feel of Tallahassee and it was a great place to raise our girls! They still have several contracts with DOT and do work for cities and counties, too.
I’m impressed that you’re continuing on to a PhD!!! I am excited to be getting a masters! I think you are amazing to continue on that path and I wish you much success! What will your PhD be in?
And finally, I LOVE your resume project (portfolio)!! It looks so nice and is a great way to share all your accomplishments!! I would enjoying hanging out with you!!!
Hi Again, Deidra! I wanted to make sure to comment on the presentation of your post itself. You post was well written and contained interesting information about you and your life journey. I liked the picture you picked as it is a professional look and it paired well with your information about your career path. I loved your links and, as I said above, I think you’ve presented a very thorough, professional portfolio that I was able to access easily through the link you provided! Overall, a great post done well!!!
Hi Deidra! It was great to read your post and get to learn a little bit about you. I love to hear about your passion for education and learning. It is fascinating to think about the amount of information we have access to which helps in the journey to never stop learning new things. I also love how you talked about standing on the shoulders of your grandparents. My mom didn’t go to college and was a crucial part in raising us kids while my dad went to school and work, so I can’t thank both of them enough for supporting all of us in their own ways. I wouldn’t be where I am without their help and support.
My grandma and parents live in Metter and my sister lives in Statesboro right now and is taking classes at GSU! I was in Metter over Christmas break. Your career sounds very impressive and I’m excited to learn more about you over the coming weeks!
Great work!