intros

My name is Theo, and I’m in my final semester of the Master of Science in Information program. I currently work as a graduate assistant for Special Collections and Archives at FSU, which I’ve actually written several blog posts for in the past year. During my undergrad, I studied art history with a minor in philosophy, and I’m very passionate about the importance of the arts and humanities in all their forms (especially popular/internet cultures).

I have picked up a lot of different creative hobbies over the years–my favorites being drawing, writing, and crocheting–but my special interest remains the Sims franchise. This will certainly not be the last you hear about it from me. Last semester, I wrote a paper about archiving Sims 2 machinimas, and a couple semesters before that, I used Dublin Core to organize sims. I mostly play Sims 2 and 4, and I love learning about the franchise’s lore and its place in gaming history.

When it comes to making things, I’m much more used to working with physical formats, so this class will give me an opportunity to practice and improve my skills in digital art (broadly defined). I’m also eager to improve my knowledge of copyright, which I think will be good to know in general.

I look forward to getting to know you all through your creations!

I’m Sara. I live in Orlando, Florida and work as a Media Specialist at a public high school. I’m pursuing the MSI degree with FSU and I am excited to say I’ll be graduating this May.

In true media specialist fashion, I enjoy reading novels. I read every day before bed. Other interests of mine include The Sims 4 (I have been playing The Sims since its inception in 2000), baking, and live music. I am not, by any means, a musician but I am a music-lover and avid concert-goer. The most recent concert I attended was David Kushner this past November.

I’m looking forward to having fun in this course. I always struggle with library programming and I’m eager to learn how to create and use media resources to support learning in my media center.

Beginning a blog post in 2025, where every second sees more content created than the one before, feels a lot like I’m waiting in a Zoom room where people are there, but no one is talking—a.k.a, a lot of “Is anybody there? Can you hear me?” Or in this case, I suppose “Do you read me?” would be a little more apropos.

Assuming y’all can read me, Hi! My name is Emily Bowlin and I have lived in Florida since I was 8 years old. Originally I lived in a small town called Crestview, which is in the Panhandle of Florida. My Grandpa always referred to it as “L.A.” for “Lower Alabama.” Whenever people say that Tallahassee is a small town I chuckle, because for me, small town refers to seeing folks ride up and hitch their horses at the local Waffle House for a brunch. All that said, I consider myself to be as close to a native Floridian as possible.

I have always wanted to work in libraries because libraries were a safe place when I didn’t have many. Books provided both an escape and a way to imagine a life beyond the one that I’d lived. I am fortunate enough to be working in Resource Sharing within a library currently and am excited to continue on a career path towards librarianship. Currently I am pursuing my Master of Science in Information while working full-time. What I am really interested in pursuing is ways to better equip students and patrons with tools to navigate the constant misinformation and disinformation, while better building and supporting community. My hopes are that I can take some of what I’ve learned in this class and apply it practically to my working environment to improve accessibility overall.

I love reading, but even more than that I love learning. I am always eager to learn more about practically everything! Reading has been a core part of my life and I have read just about anything and everything, with the only exception being self-help books. Currently I’m on a kick of non-fiction books about Roman History, and I just finished Honor Cargill-Martin’s book Messalina: the life and times of Rome’s most scandalous empress.  I love science fiction, fantasy, horror, and non-fiction, depending on the topic. For my honeymoon we visited London and I got to nerd out in the British Museum; in this image I’m standing next to a bust of the Roman Emperor Trajan! I’m always looking to add to my TBR, so feel free to tell me about your last five-star read!

As far as hobbies go, when I’m not reading, I love just about everything crafty and creative. I am an avid fan of crochet, I enjoy making earrings out of small toys and Shrinky Dinks, I even love using Perler beads to make fun patterns! If you’re looking for a fun craft that’s pretty easy overall, Perler beads are great for going as big or as small as you want, and you could find patterns for just about everything! Here’s a website that has a lot of fun bead patterns: Kandi Patterns. In general, the more creative, the more fun. What’s fun about being creative is that it’s the joy of making something, even if that means making a story for my character in Dungeons and Dragons! I look forward to learning about more ways to better utilize digital media in this increasingly digital world!

Hi everyone! My name is Kyla Cacoilo and I am currently living in Tallahassee, Florida. I am originally from beautiful Sarasota, Florida and love the beach and being outside in the sun! I am pursuing my Master’s in Information Technology and plan to graduate in Spring 2025. I graduated from FSU in 2023 with my Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and I am excited to become a double Nole! Currently, I work at Florida State University Information Technology Services as an IT Service Management Specialist. In this role, I help to manage major incidents, on-board and off-board services, and lead organizational change management. I have worked at FSU ITS for 2 years, and I am excited to see where my journey will take me!

Outside of school and work, my favorite hobby is to travel! I have definitely caught a bit of a travel bug and cannot stop exploring. Just this week, I got back from a European winter adventure where I travelled to see one of my college roommates. We explored Madrid, Budapest, Vienna, and Andalusia and had an absolutely wonderful time! Some of the most amazing things that I saw included the Alhambara in Granada, the Patios in Cordoba, and the Austrian National Library in Vienna.

Other than travelling, my other hobbies include pottery, hot yoga, cycling, reading, and relaxing in the sun! Over the past 6 months, I have been enrolled in a pottery class and I have learned how to make pots, bowls, plates, mugs, and more! Pottery has always fascinated me and I am excited that I have been able to start a new hobby.

Throughout this semester, I hope to become more confident in my skills related to digital-media resources. I have personal experience editing and creating different medias, yet I have never taken a course to teach technqiues. I am excited to learn a new perspective that is different than my self-taught skills and hope to learn some techniques that will speed up the process. I am excited to have a great semester and I am looking forward to meeting all of you!

Hi! My name is Grace and I live in Tallahassee, FL. I am in the Master of Science in Information Technology program. I work in the Information Technology department at Florida State University. A fun hobby that I have been getting into over the past few months is pottery! I have been taking beginner wheel classes at the union.

I am interested in learning about media production in this class. I have little to no prior experience in media production beyond directing my Tik Toks, so I hope to gain new knowledge and skills in this field.

Hi everyone! My name is Leslie and I’m currently based out of Tampa, Florida. I’m working on my MSI at FSU while also working full-time at USF. I’m also, apparently, a fan of acronyms. I’ve lived in Florida for the majority of my life, and one of the things I just can’t get over is how great the weather is here year round (excluding the few weeks in July and August where the state cosplays as the surface of the sun). When i’m not working or studying, I try to get outside as much as possible. I enjoy kayaking, reading in the shade, or taking my dog Zoe on long walks. I enjoy reading sci-fi and fantasy books, and have a personal reading goal of 75 books this year.

I adopted Zoe in 2020 from ADORE Pet Rescue , and it was easily the best decision of my life. She is such a spunky, happy, loving little lady, and has brought so much joy into my life. She very much lives up to her namesake, Zoe Washburn (one of my favorite sci-fi heroines). I’m unsure of what her breed is (I suspect she’s some sort of bully mix though) but I usually tell people she’s a 100% pure-bred good girl.

I have absolutely no background in media production whatsoever, but I am curious to learn more. It amazes me how people can take raw footage and craft it into beautiful visual storytelling; I’m excited to have the opportunity to peek behind the curtain and learn how the “magic” actually works.

Hello everyone! My name is Kaleah Gonzalez, and I currently live in Homestead, Florida. This is my first semester at Florida State University, and I am currently pursuing my master’s degree in Information Technology. I recently graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from UCF. After completing this program, I am debating getting my PhD. I have an interest in artificial intelligence and hope to delve a little deeper into it. I want to pursue a career in software development, creating and maintaining user needs.

Outside of class, I enjoy multiple hobbies, such as reading, photography, and going to the beach. A fun fact about me is that I read 120 books last year. My favorite genres to read are romance and fantasy. Although I am fond of a hardcover here and there, most books I read are on my Kindle. I got into photography in 2023. I started to travel more and wanted to capture all those moments in a quality higher than an iPhone; I currently have a Canon G7X Mark III. I have been thinking about getting a film camera, but I’m indecisive about which one. So if you have any suggestions, please let me know.

I am excited about this class and learning different tools to create digital media projects. Effectively learning how to edit or design digital images, audio, and video elements is a nice addition to my growing passion for photography. I feel everyone can benefit from learning even the basics of digital media.

Hi everyone! My name is Jaleen Bedminster and this will be my first time ever taking a media, sound concept and editing course. I was born and raised on the beautiful island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands until the age of 12. Living there gave me a deep appreciation and connection to the ocean. It also gave me a love of vibrant, close-knit communities where everyone looks out for one another. At 12, I moved to Orlando, Florida, where I completed my schooling and eventually earned my bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) from Florida State University (FSU).

Prior to graduating with my MIS degree, I planned to get my bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science, as I was drawn to risk management and the insurance industry. However, over time, I realized that my passion wasn’t in numbers alone. Through meaningful connections and strong networking, I found a new path and I now work as an Office Administrator for the Information Technology Services department at FSU. Before accepting my current position, I considered moving to Rhode Island to work as a Claims Adjuster for an insurance company. However, my heart was still at FSU, where I could further my education without the burden of heavy financial costs with professors that loves what they do!

Currently, I’m in my second semester of the Master’s of Information Technology program at FSU, focusing on Information Architecture and User Design. While I’ve had some hands-on experience with manipulating software to create prototypes, I’m eager to expand my skills in media editing and digital production. This class I feel will challenge me in a great way to aid in my focus of media analysis, production and integrating digital elements like image, sound and video. I hope to use this knowledge to sharpen my creativity skills and produce engaging digital content that compliments me, my career and studies.

In my free time, I enjoy practicing yoga, hot yoga, journaling, meditating, and spending time in nature to ground myself. I also love taking retreats around the world and reconnecting with my deep sense of connectivity, love, and self. Recently, I visited St. Lucia to see my family, where I created new experiences and strengthened my bond with my family. Spending quality time with loved ones brings me so much joy and fulfillment. This is a bit of me, thank you for allowing me to share and I’m looking forward to learning and collaborating with everyone in this class. We’re going to make it a great semester!