intros

Hello, classmates! My name is Kristopher DeMarco, but I prefer just Kris. I was born in Michigan, lived in Nevada, and eventually moved to Florida in 2010. My hometown is Naples and I go back there every so often to see my parents. Currently, I live in Tallahassee, right next to campus. I love being close to campus, as I appreciate a good walk or run through the university. I have two bachelors degrees from the University of Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. After obtaining my second degree, I knew my next step was a graduate degree. I love being in school and hope to continue my education throughout my life. Deciding on FSU for graduate school was an easy choice because I previously lived and attended FSU and enjoyed it thoroughly. Not to mention the cost of in-state tuition is much cheaper! I am in the MSIT program in my second semester and so far, it has been going well, and I have enjoyed learning about IT. I am also pursuing the Information Architecture and User Services Graduate Certificate. I was recently hired as an intern for the virtualization team at FSU’s Information Technology Services. There I hope to continue my learning and narrow down exactly what type of IT I want to delve into. I am interested in cybersecurity and usability. Some of my hobbies include reading traveling, watching sports and movies, and video games. I love reading thrillers and just finished a great Dean Koontz novel, TickTock. It was a quick read but entertaining nonetheless, I recommend it if you like thrillers! I watch many sports events and occasionally will bet when I am feeling risky, although usually I do not win any money. My favorite sports teams that I follow religiously include the LA Chargers, Miami Heat, and Atalanta BC. I am so excited to take this class, specifically working with web-based tools. Last semester, I took Design and Production of Network Multimedia and enjoyed it a lot. We created a basic website using HTML and CSS, which I want to learn more about. I hope to gain knowledge and more experience with website tools in this class and meet peers interested in similar aspects of IT.

I leave you all with a picture of one of my favorite events I have ever witnessed: the solar eclipse in Texas in April of this year!

Hey y’all, my name is Heather Kwak. I was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL. I lived in Tallahassee when I was pursuing my bachelor’s degree in IT, but I moved back home after I graduated. I work at a local high school as an IT Coordinator. I am responsible for providing technical support and troubleshooting for high school students and faculty, with a specific focus on iPads used by students

I have always been into some form of arts and crafts. I love painting with acrylic, drawing with charcoal, making Kandi cuffs, and using the sewing machine. I am excited to create videos in this class since I used to create animated videos using game characters from Maple Story as a child and have used programs like Windows Movie Maker and Sony Vegas.

I have two dogs at home named Junpyo and Khalifa. The photo on the right is a photo of Khalifa when she was a puppy. I also used to have a cat named Pumpkin and she is missed very much.

I am looking forward to learning about copyright because it has always been hard for me to wrap my head around it on my own when I was creating videos as a 12 years old.

Hello! My name is Jocelyn Hsu, and I am currently in the last semester of my Master of Science in Information degree (yay!). I was born in Taiwan and emigrated to the States as a child, and am currently based in Orlando, Florida.

A fun fact about me is that I studied violin performance at FSU for my undergraduate degree, and am a professional musician! Since childhood, I’ve always known that being a performer was my calling, and after graduating college I was blessed with the opportunity to tour and gig full-time…until COVID-19 hit. Then I was unemployed for almost a year before unexpectedly picking up a job as a library assistant at one of Lockheed Martin‘s research libraries. While in college I had worked several years at FSU’s Allen Music Library, so this job was familiar territory for me. After a few years I was itching for more growth and engagement, which ultimately led me to this MIS program.

I currently work as an junior research librarian by day, grad student by night, and performer at all other times! I like to joke with my colleagues that I moonlight as a librarian, although now I personally feel that music and libraries are both my callings.

What interests me about this class is how digital media and technology evolve as science and innovation advance. The transformation of technology, and subsequently, the skills needed to use those technologies, have followed me from grade school through post-secondary education; I remember learning how to type in elementary computer class, designing Piczo websites with my friends in middle school, figuring out how to edit Instagram photos in high school, and learning how to create audio recordings in undergrad. All those skills came in handy later during my music career since I now manage my own professional website, edit videos and graphics for social media and promotional content, and make professional audio recordings for auditions, records, and other artists. And as digital media advances, I am keenly aware that my learning will never end as an information professional–I feel compelled to learn and master new digital tools to the best of my ability so I can better help patrons. I hope the knowledge and skills I gain from this class will equip me for librarianship in every community and niche I find myself in.

Hello everyone! My name is Liv (she/her) Sampogna, I come to you today from my very sleepy writer’s desk in Roanoke, Virginia. I settled here after attending Roanoke College, from which I graduated with a BS in environmental studies and creative writing in 2021.

If my life were a Muppet movie, I would be played by a lost and troubled Gonzo who, having no idea what planet she belongs on after college, moves in with her stranger of a roommate, Fozzy Bear (my dear friend Audrey). Luckily for Gonzo, Fozzy Bear has already found her life path as a Librarian, and enlightens Gonzo about all that it means to be a Librarian, Gonzo quickly realizes this is where she belongs and expresses this epiphany in song. Gonzo would first be accepted by a library down in Fraggle Rock where, though she has a great deal of fun and finds her footing, doesn’t find herself able to relate well enough to the cave-dwellings Fraggles. After earning enough experience, Gonzo begins working for the library on whatever planet he’s from, where he meets the rest of the Muppet’s cast, all of whom play a part in Gonzo’s library journey!

I am realizing now I don’t want to make the whole post in that format because it’s very discombobulating. I’ve been working as a Youth Librarian for Roanoke Public Libraries since 2022 and though I had never realized I was a kids-and-teens-person, I’ve definitely found my calling! I do a couple of Storytimes every week with wildly played-out themes, I have a group of artistic teens who started off as a “Zine Club” and now is just generally an art club, and I do many other miscellaneous things! This is my fourth semester at FSU, I’m very grateful that my system allows me to work as a capital “L” Librarian in the mean time.

Outside of librarianship, I also work at a historic theatre in my neighborhood as a bartender which is, unsurprisingly, a very fun gig. I love to read, watch YouTube videos about books, and spend hours on my book logging app, please feel free to add me on StoryGraph! I love collaging, painting, sewing, writing and unabashedly love (slow) fashion. As to why I’m excited about this class, I feel like digital media allows everyone to be an artist, as well as for the collaging of different mediums (visual, audio) which brings ease to expressing bigger ideas. Also, because digital media is so widely shareable, nurturing digital art/artists makes the internet a more inspiring and creative space. Speaking of, has anyone ever used Are.na? It’s sort of like Pinterest but for research: you can connect links, journals, videos, quotes and pictures to different topics (“channels”).

Hi everyone! My name is Mariah Fuertes, it’s lovely to meet you all. 

I’m a born and raised Florida native. I’ve lived in three different major cities: Tampa, Fort. Lauderdale, and now, Orlando. My husband and I enjoy the Central Florida area, however, every now and then I’m tempted to move North in order to experience the changing of the seasons. 

Currently, I wear two hats: I’m a part-time Library Assistant and a Reference Intern at Valencia College. I love what I do and feel fortunate enough to work in an environment that not only supports my career growth, but allows me to balance motherhood graciously. I have an almost two-year-old daughter who keeps me on my toes. She’s my pocket-sized best friend. My days off are usually spent playing with baby dolls, singing Ms. Rachel songs, and reading piles of books together.

I began my MSI journey in Fall of 2023 and will be graduating this Summer in 2025. I’m excited to begin my career as a librarian post graduation, as well as have the opportunity to (hopefully) expand upon my other interests/academic skills. I also have a BA in English from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Full Sail University. My goal is to either be a Youth Services or Academic Librarian.

In my spare time, I’m also an aspiring author of fantasy and literary fiction. I’m convinced that escaping reality is the best coping mechanism, as I’d much rather get lost in a floating castle than pay for a therapist. As a writer, my goal is to craft stories that challenge the unimaginable, and make even the most skeptical believe in the subtle magic of everyday life. 

When I’m not editing story drafts, you can find me binge watching Bravo TV, practicing beginner ballet, cozy gaming on my Switch, or strolling down Main Street at Walt Disney World. 

I enjoy digital media creation, and have studied different variations of it in the past! I’m looking forward to learning about new programs, tips & tricks, and overall gaining some insight on how to properly incorporate digital content into the LIS field. 

Wishing you all a great semester! 🙂

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!

Hello, all! My name is Craig Moore. I’ll start off with a quick story. During the final semester of my Fine Arts degree, I was publicly asked by a professor of engineering to define ‘Art.’ Much to the chagrin of my peers, I offered a brief, admittedly ostentatious, response to a deceptively simple question:

“Art is asking questions.”

While my answer garnered some well-deserved eyerolls, it’s a definition I wholeheartedly stand by. Beyond any technical skills or entrepreneurial prowess developed during my three years in FSU’s Studio Art program, the ability to pose and critically analyze complex problems through various lenses was the most valuable expertise I walked away with.

I affectionately reference this anecdote because it lends itself to almost everything I do. I’m beginning my second semester in the MSIT program having completed the aforementioned Studio Art program at FSU last spring. My primary disciplines are video art and virtual environment design, where I combine found and created video with 3D photogrammetry scans and projection mapping.

I live in Tallahassee where I’ve worked on-campus at the FSU Innovation Hub for just over two years as a Computer Technologies Intern, subsequently as an Area Specialist, and most currently as a Graduate Assistant. Across these roles, I’ve developed a passion for connecting researchers, faculty, and students with technologies, concepts, and resources to expand and enrich their myriad creative pursuits and research methodologies. It’s also within these roles at the Innovation Hub where I’ve been able to hone my critical thinking (occasionally overthinking) skills in a meaningful capacity beyond the borders of my art practice.

It has been highly rewarding to have a platform to experiment with and learn from practices in systems administration, computer and VR lab development, technology procurement, technical writing, and skill sharing, all the while applying a knack for questioning everything and learning a ton in the process. Drawing on my appreciation for the work I’ve been doing at the Innovation Hub, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in Information Technology. So far, it has made for an interesting contrast with my undergraduate degree, enabling me to question everything in a fresh context while greatly developing my skills as a writer and editor. 

Looking forward to this class, I’m excited to deliver on some of the skills I developed during my undergraduate education in the context of professional and information organizations. Of particular interest to me are the resources and exercises focusing on copyright and Creative Commons licensing. A portion of my art practice relies on sourcing found media, the majority of which I’ve obtained no legal rights to implement. While this was not much of a concern in educational and not-for-profit contexts, I fully understand that there is a better and more commercially viable process to follow for sourcing media. Up to this point, my primary concern was simply dodging YouTube’s copyright claims on my non-monetized videos. That said, I’m excited to learn about proper methods for obtaining rights to media, especially as I intend to apply my skills in professional and public contexts in the future. 

To leave off, I’ll introduce you to my partner, Sarah, and our two cats, Frankenstein and Lorelai, while wishing each of you a Happy New Year and a fruitful semester to come!

Cheers!

– Craig Moore

Hello, everyone! I’m Tashi Brown, and I currently reside in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. I live in a small town so I travel OFTEN. I’m studying Information Technology and work as a Software Analyst for the Department of Defense. I’m passionate about digital design and serving my community in my free time. I am a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. I create all the flyers and social media posts for my sorority.

I find this class intriguing, especially in relation to digital creations. I recently turned my hobby into a small business so I’m eager to delve into media concepts and production.

Curious to know more about Niceville? Check it out and explore the vibrant culture and history of this small town where all the people are nice.

Greetings everyone! My name is Lauren Diaz and I grew up in Windermere, FL. I attended Florida State University for my undergraduate studies where I pursued a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Law Enforcement Intelligence. Although I began my studies with hopes to one day become a Forensic Psychologist, my Forensic Psychology professor at Florida State University, who also had a J.D., inspired me to first pursue law school. During the peak of the pandemic, I began my law school journey on Zoom. At the beginning of my last semester of law school and after 2 1/2 years of studying and preparing to become a criminal defense attorney, I realized I did not want to become an attorney. Although I met many attorneys who had the job I had always dreamed of, none of them had the life I wanted to live. During my final semester of law school, I began scrambling to find a job with a work/life balance. I was enrolled in an Advanced Legal Research Techniques course and realized all of the aspects of law school I enjoyed were truly law librarianship. For example, I was the TA for Legal Research and Writing and was heavily involved in law review. This link will take you to the Nova Law Review’s website where you can explore the organization: https://thenovalawreview.org/new-page

Ultimately, I found refuge in the law library and made contact with the Dean of the Law Library. The Dean of the Law Library created a law librarianship program for me to complete and upon graduating I was offered a position as a Research and Reference Librarian at the Panza Maurer Law Library at Nova Southeastern Shepard Broad College of Law with the condition that I complete an MLIS program or equivalent. The following link will lead you to the website of the law library: https://www.law.nova.edu/library/staff.html

Apart from working as a law librarian, I am also an adjunct professor for the same Advanced Legal Research Techniques course I previously took. Everything has truly come full circle. When I am not working or in school, I love to read, write academic articles, and collect Pokemon cards. One area of scholarship that I consistently write about is intellectual property and I am hoping this course can enhance my knowledge on copyright. Additionally, my family has a Pokemon-collecting business and one of the reasons I am taking this course is to learn more about digital media in terms of marketing. Another reason I am taking this course is to better improve the promotional and informational material sent out by the library and how to improve my presence on Canvas and other platforms for my students.