Hi everyone! My name is Caitlin and I am excited to meet you all as well as learn and grow together this semester. I am originally from Florida. I spent my childhood and middle school years in Miami. I moved with my family to the small town of Lake Placid, FL before I started high school. Lake Placid feels more like my hometown. After attending a small college in North Carolina where I obtained my BS in English language education, I moved abroad. I taught English outside of Madrid, Spain for a couple of years. I married my Welsh husband and we lived in Cardiff, Wales, UK for over ten years. I loved living in Wales – it is such a beautiful and interesting place! If you ever have the chance to visit, I recommend checking out Tenby or Hay-on-Wye. Over a year ago my husband, son, and I moved back to Lake Placid to be closer to my parents. While we definitely miss Wales, we are enjoying small town life and the Florida sunshine.
I am now a year into pursuing my MSI, and I am hoping to graduate Summer 2026. Previously, I have worked as a teacher and then as an event/project coordinator for a youth non-profit organization. I am currently doing some freelance work while staying home with my 4 year old son. However, my goal is to work in a public library and I am actively looking for positions.
When I am not playing cars or legos with my son or working, I am an avid reader. I read widely across most fiction genres, but I also love talking about books and am always eager to learn what people are reading. If we were meeting face to face, I would ask you what you’re reading currently and what is one of your favorite books. If you’re interested in seeing what I’m reading, you are welcome to check out my StoryGraph account. I’m not always the best at writing reviews, but I do track all my reads.
For the first few years I worked for the non-profit, I regularly had to create various digital media, predominantly graphics or images to use on social media or flyers. I did not have any experience when I started, so I taught myself as I went and it became one of my favorite aspects of my job. My role changed and I did not get to create as much in my final years there, and I missed this creative aspect of my job. I am excited to get to try these skills again and hopefully grow them this semester. I am not an artist, but I enjoy bringing together different digital elements to create an image or graphic. I am eager to learn more about video and audio editing as those are areas I do not have much experience in.
I am really looking forward to this class! Here’s to a great semester everyone!
I also use StoryGraph! It’s the best.
Hi Caitlin! My name is Lora! I also am from a small Florida town, about a half hour from Tallahassee! I got my bachelor’s in education too, only math education! Did you like being a teacher? I am currently getting experience in a middle school language arts class. It is a challenging job, but one I don’t regret. I just learned about StoryGraph, and I may get it at some point this year to further track my reading. I love your passion for digital media! I can’t wait to meet you and learn more about you this semester.
Hi Lora, It is so much to meet you! There were a lot of aspects I loved about teaching, but I realized I saw it as a job and the things I did not like were burning me out. I think teaching is too important to not keep the passion for it, so I decided for me and any future students I needed to be find a different career. But there was a lot to love about it and there are aspects I miss about the classroom and the environment. I loved teaching middle school – I think middle schoolers are great!
Hi, Caitlin! Storygraph looks really cool. I might have to try it out, as I like books in general but struggle to stick with one book. Maybe I can find more books I enjoy that way! What kinds of books do you like to read? What interests you about them?
Hello Caitlin! You have lived in some beautiful places. Wales is on my list of places to visit for sure. I have never heard of Lake Placid, FL so I’m adding that to my list of places to see in Florida. The Caladium Festival looks like a lot of fun! Teaching and working in children’s mental health are both such rewarding positions. Would you like to continue working with children in a library setting or are you open to any public library position? I definitely relate to what you were saying in your comment above. I’m starting to view teaching as only a job, the burnout is real, and it’s time to find a different career.
I look forward to getting to know you and seeing what you create.