LIS5313

spring 2025

Are We There Yet?

I’m usually a man of patience, but for the past 24 weeks I’ve been eager to get to April 2025. No, it’s not to complete my MSIT program at FSU – I still have three classes to finish, which will be completed by the end of the Summer term. No, it’s not to attend Megacon and add to my collection of comics, collectibles, and autographs – Megacon is next month in Orlando. No, it’s not because I’m selling our house and moving away from the First Coast – I’ve been raised here since my parents relocated in 1986 and I don’t foresee leaving any time soon. “Then, why?”, you ask. I’m rather impatient at the moment, because I, Jason Rosario, along with my beautiful wife, will be welcoming our first child into our family this year. We are so excited and cannot wait to meet our baby boy face to face in April.

As with first time Dads, I have questions, hopes, fears, and daydreams of what is to come. Will raising him up in Florida be the best? Will my current role as an IT Director allow me the flexibility and time to spend with my family; will I quickly find that work and life balance? Will he love OG Star Wars as much as we do? What type of a dad will I become? From a student perspective, will I be able to maintain an “A” with my final class, or worse, will I need to postpone taking it and delay my Master’s degree? We shall see.

As with most new parents, we will definitely be taking photos and videos galore. I’m looking forward to our digital media class because I can immediately take away what I learn from our course and apply it to the photos, videos, and media we take of our family. I’ll also be able to enhance my social media skills and possibly create a secure and private website for family member access to personal baby blogs, photos, and media of our baby boy as he grows up. Unbeknownst to me, the timing of taking LIS 5313 has worked out in our favor, not only for my degree program, but also for our new bundle of joy upcoming.

Are we there yet? Seriously. I cannot wait for this next big adventure to begin in our family and marriage. I need to remind myself that he’ll be here before we know it.

January 13, 2025 by spring 2025 Student Posts 5

Short and Sweet

Greetings, fellow students!

My name is Breanna. I’m originally from a small town in Texas. I lived in California for 20 years before moving to Monticello, FL, a few years ago. I am a former English/History high school teacher with a BA in English literature (UC Santa Cruz) and a master’s in education (University of La Verne). I am studying for my master’s in information at FSU and am thrilled about all the new things I’ve learned and will learn. So far, my favorite writing assignments have been about UAVs, Bigfoot, and my extensive nail polish collection.

I work as a dedicated caregiver for my husband, a disabled veteran. We have our American bully, Stryder, who is the best of boys and a true brand ambassador. People always ask to pet him and take pictures with him. We adopted him from the Leon County Humane Society in Tallahassee, FL. They do good work there and are a credit to their cause.

In my spare time, I enjoy creating cosplays, which my former students got a kick out of – their favorite was Black Widow. I also play D&D on Sundays with an online group, using Fantasy Grounds as our platform.

I am a passionate hobbyist photographer, so I look forward to this class to hone my skills and learn new ones in digital media.

January 12, 2025 by spring 2025 3

A Snail and Her Shell

I often think that introductions are the worst part of being in community. I’d rather not be perceived at all. Can we just pretend to know each other and jump right in? No. Okay, let’s start over.

Greetings! I’m Jenn White and I live in Palm Coast, FL. I share a house with my dog, Sky, my bestie, her daughter, our cats, and Rosie the Tarantula. We have a peaceful home full of things that bring us joy and the more than occasional sassy attitude. At night we like to have a drink on our porch and watch the sky for possible UFOs (those can’t all be planes and planets and stars, right?). During the day I’m a middle school science teacher. I started as an Early Elementary Montessori Teacher 12 years ago. About 6 years ago I was offered a position teaching science in middle school. I earned my professional teaching certification through the Florida Department of Education and now I teach at a public school. 7th grade curriculum is my favorite because natural history and ecology are my favorite. There are a few hobbies that I wish would take up more of my time. I like to read about herbalism, the evolution of life on Earth, and whatever sci/fi or fantasy book I can find. I enjoy being on the water and meet up with friends to paddleboard in the summer. I am fascinated by Thanatology and learning about the different ways cultures view death and dying. I’ve been learning how to nålbind socks, which is a cozy winter hobby. When stressed, I like to be in my kitchen–baking is usually my go to. Sometimes I make beautiful and delicious loaves of bread but other times they’re just delicious. Music is life and lately I’ve been listening to Colour Me Wednesday, Camp Cope, and Amyl and The Sniffers.

I’ve always been a wanderer–moving from one opportunity to the next. A collector of experiences, never living in one place longer than 3-5 years. I graduated with my BFA in Fine Art in 2007. I thought about joining Peace Corps but became an AmeriCorps VISTA member instead. Which was fun. I’ve been an environmental educator, a youth case manager, a vegan baker, a milker and herder of goats, a bartender, and a teacher. Despite the fun, I can’t say that I’ve ever felt a sense of purpose. How do people know what they want and then also make it happen? I don’t know. Somewhere along the way, I got really lost. I stopped collecting experiences and just coasted; kind of frozen. I became a sort of hermit but I wasn’t always a snail hiding in her shell. Life can lead us in some interesting directions I suppose. Anyway, it finally happened for me, like a spark lit in my spirit. I want to be a librarian. Who doesn’t love the smell of an old book? The thrill of having access to artifacts, specimens, and special collections? Over the years, even my classroom and house have morphed into a library and natural history museum. A path and purpose became clear for me and I decided to set two goals for myself. One is more short term and it’s to work in service to my community as school librarian. The second is my dream job and that would be to become a librarian at the The National Museum of Natural History.

And now I’m here, with you. I’m excited to be here, nervous about socializing, but happy to have found a new community. I’m taking a page from younger me, putting fear and overwhelm aside to live in the moment. I look forward to being in community and leaning into creativity. Thanks for reading. This wasn’t so bad.

January 11, 2025 by spring 2025 7