
Well, howdy!
My name is Annamarie, and this is my fourth semester in the MSI program at FSU. I currently live in Pinellas county and have actually lived here since birth. I do plan to move after receiving my masters; I’m dreaming of somewhere that experiences seasons!
My day-to-day consists of a lot of crafting and petting cats. I work in the youth department of a public library where I get to help kiddos find fun books when I’m not creating eye-catching displays. At home I like to knit, watch long video essays on YouTube, and play videogames. Lately I’ve been feeling nostalgic and have decided to try to complete all of the challenges in Roller Coaster Tycoon Deluxe. So far I’ve logged over 150 hours of play time… and I’m only about halfway through the challenges!
Speaking of challenges–how about this class, eh? I briefly mentioned in class that I have a background in graphic design. I went to a career academy in high school that focused on web design, so I learned to code html before being certified in PhotoShop and DreamWeaver from Adobe. I took a break from design to get my AA before enrolling in the Graphic Design program at the University of Tampa. I was there for over 2 years, two semesters away from graduating, when everything changed. The lead professor experienced a brutal car accident with her family, and she understandably pulled back. The changes in the program caused me to readjust as well and I transferred to St. Petersburg College to get a BA in Software Development and Management with a specialization in Cybersecurity. That degree will not do much to help me in this course, but all of the experience from my years of learning about graphic design and visual communications are sure to come in handy. I look forward to seeing all of your creative work, and giving helpful feedback and critique!
I would be remiss not to share some cat photos after bringing them up, so without further ado:


Hello Annamarie!
I live pretty close to you (pretty cool). I too haven’t moved around too much either. What are seasons? I forgot.
I love video games as well! Roller Coaster Tycoon is like THE BEST GAME! I remember playing it and then 3 days later I realized I forgot to eat. I couldn’t get into Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 or 3. I did like the Sims though, did you play that?
Kudos to going to UT, I do presentations about my career over there (in their Video Editing class).
Oh neat, I went to SPC also. I graduated there in Networking. I also do presentations over there in their Audio classes. How did you like their classes?
Love your cat pics! Hope you have a great semester.
Hi, Annamarie! As a non-Florida student, I really appreciate you including a link to Pinellas County. It was helpful to get an idea of where you were born and raised. You mentioned moving after finishing graduate school. Do you have any locations in mind? I would also love to live somewhere with seasons since I experience weather that is warm, hot, and hotter.
There are so many things you mentioned that I want to pick your brain about. Although I originally thought I would go back into the school and become an elementary librarian, I’ve become more interested in youth services within the public library system. What is your favorite part about your job? What is one thing you would change?
It seems like you have a really diverse background, so I look forward to seeing what you create throughout the semester!
Hello, Annamarie! It’s great to get to know a fellow classmate. I feel like we have a lot in common related to our career path, among other things. I too took graphic design classes in college (graduated with a BFA in drawing), and transitioned into IT. What are some of your favorite things to do in the Tampa area? My daughter loves to go to the Tampa Zoo and Aquarium.
As a Florida native, the thought of moving farther north seems like a wonderful idea. I am born and raised in Gainesville, where I live currently. I really can’t complain that much, I do love where I live and it’s a great town to raise a kid.
I see that you have a couple cats. I bet my boy Rupert would love to meet Annie. Unfortunately, he rarely gets the opportunity to meet other cats.
One of these days I’ll have a introduce my daughter to video games. At four years old, she might be a tad young. Roller Coaster Tycoon seems like one to start with. I used to play that decades ago, but over the past few years, I have not had much time for video games.
As I mentioned, great to meet you, and I hope to see you in class.