Hello everyone! My name is Gwen Roberts, and I’m currently in my penultimate semester at FSU for the MSI program. My academic background is actually in the social sciences, as I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the New College of Florida in Sarasota. However, I’m happy to be getting my graduate degree in a field that facilitates another one of my interests, librarianship and information literacy. Currently I work for the Broward County Public Library System as a Librarian Trainee, on track to becoming a fully salaried Librarian when I graduate in August! I mainly work in Adult Services right now, but at some point I’d like to be a Youth Librarian as I feel like my enthusiasm and penchant for silliness suits that environment better. I live in Sunrise, but I’m actually from Trinidad, which is a place so rich in cultural diversity and natural beauty I can’t even begin to describe it.
I’m very excited for this class because I’ve been creatively inclined my entire life and really enjoy making art as well as engaging with it. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on Korean hip-hop music and cross-cultural expression, and for one of my classes last semester I managed to make an entire book trailer using only Powerpoint. It was quite possibly one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had making art since Powerpoint is not really a software for doing animation, but I really enjoyed trying to make it work. Hopefully this time I will learn how to use tools that are actually intended to be used for video editing however. I look forward to honing my (very elementary) skills in editing and digital media creation, and having a creative outlet. I’m also really excited to see what kind of unique artwork everyone else produces! Aside from writing about art and using unusual programs to make it, I also enjoy reading and playing video games, in the hopes of possibly making a game of my own some day.
Hello Gwen! Congratulations on having a librarian job lined up as soon as you graduate, your so close! It’s great that you recognize your personality to be better suited for youth services, even reading through your post that energy comes across. I hope one day you can transition over and get to use your creativity in your work. Your thesis topic sounds super interesting, it reminds me of a music appreciation class I took back in undergrad– I’ll have to save it and read through it sometime. I look forward to seeing what projects you create in this class!
Gwen, I absolutely adore your undergraduate thesis idea. Combining the poetic stylings with the sociocultural aspects of Korean Hip-Hop artists “performing blackness” sounds fascinating!
I have worked in libraries as an aide/parapro for 9 years in two states and three systems, and have always worked with adults. I don’t know if my years of working in daycare jaded me, or if I have just really started to enjoy it, but I don’t think I could work as a children’s librarian myself — though bless ANYONE who has the patience for it! In
In my current position as an assistant supervisor, I have been focusing more on adult educational programming, working with the American Army Museum and the Smithsonian, which has been really exciting.
Personally, I’m not incredibly adept at filmmaking or animation of any kind, but I applaud you for taking PowerPoint and making it work for you!
Hi Gwen! I applaud your commitment to creating a book trailer in PowerPoint — I saw a video on TikTok of someone using PowerPoint to create a visual novel and it seemed quite challenging. I hope this class will help you dabble with other tools that will allow you to fully-fledge your ideas efficiently. As someone who loves listening to K-pop, your thesis on Korean hip-hop and cross-cultural expression sounds like a fascinating read. I’m excited to see what you create in this class.