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Hello to anyone that comes upon this in class! My name is John Gonzalez, and I currently reside in Miami. It’s a beautiful locale with plenty to see and do, and is much more preferable to the winter – so long as you don’t mind a housing crisis. I’m currently working at Florida International University, acting as the Library Manager for the FIU College of Law. This allows me to mix project management with user services, leading a team in ensuring our space is clean, safe for our students, and has all the resources law students need! When I’m not studying or working, I’m usually with family, playing video games, or reading – though lately, I’ve been stepping into the field of Dungeons and Dragons (curse Stranger Things!).

I’m also lucky enough to be in my final semester of the MLIS program here at FSU. I’m particularly excited about this class, as it will allow me to finish my certification requirements in User Services! I consider myself a creative person, but I am really lacking in technical skills; my fine-hand motor skills are probably at the level of a baby’s first meal on their own. So I’m hoping we can utilize tools that will create beautiful work that is original and fun. Looking forward to working with you all!

(prescript: while i know this is a master’s class, my blogging experience is casual a la my tumblr, and lowercase is just enjoyable. i’m staying in that cant for this post, but if it’s too unprofessional, i’ll step outta it)

hello folks! my name is whalen, and i’m pretty fresh on the block in this master’s degree (just turned 20 years old, gosh). i’m still in tallahassee from my bachelor’s in ict there, and i’m just about to start a job at the community college’s nursing library. i want to be a public librarian when i grow up after i graduate, and especially want to be involved with events, outreach, and yes, media.

in my spare time, i’m largely a game developer, ranging from hours-long adventure video games for sale on steam to piddly little physical games that are mostly toying with mechanics. i’m also the vice president of fsu’s video game development club, devlup @ fsu. i like to explore and play around with how people interact with the world, both in my career and out of it. if anyone else here is also interested in board game design, reach out to me, i want to find my people.

a rapid fire list of other descriptors: artist, tea drinker, cuddler, likes premier league soccer but doesn’t yell at it, enjoys a good crossword, reads sci-fi short stories from the mid-century, mildly disabled (maybe a cyst on my spinal cord?), learned a significant portion of higher-level vocabulary from magic: the gathering, low-brow taste in food, astronomy fan, astrology hater, wears blankets when on the computer like an old lady in her rocking chair.

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!

I’m Savannah Whitby and this is my last semester of my MSI degree here at FSU. I am so happy to be almost finished with this. It has been a fun ride and I have learned so much in my time here. I am so ready to be finished though. This degree didn’t necessarily need to be finished this soon but I like to rip off bandaids when I am able to. I started as a librarian in Volusia County at the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library almost three years ago now and I love it so much I had to do everything I could to pave the way for advancing. I am currently working in Youth Services and I don’t ever see me leaving. Storytime is truly my passion and I am unsure I could ever give it up. I left teaching elementary school to start this job and I will never even look back. New Smyrna Beach has always been my home and I have never wanted to live anywhere else. I am so proud to give back to the community that raised me by helping families engage with literacy both in our library and outside of it.

You will be surprised to read that my main hobby has always been reading. Currently I enjoy reading fantasy and romance novels and any mix of the two genres. My Goodreads is flooded with titles I have read and those I am currently reading (when I remember to update it, which is not often, I must admit).

I also spend an inordinate amount of time at Disney World and I am absolutely what you would call a Disney adult. We have been visiting the house of mouse since I was a small child and I have had an annual pass for most of my life. We enjoy our time there and will continue to do so for a long time.

My hope for this class is to hone my skills where digital media is concerned. I have some experience from when I was teaching and in my current position. Since this is my only class this semester I have more time to dedicate to it. My second goal for this class is to have fun with it. It is too easy in many situations to get bogged down with the assigned task and forget to enjoy it.

Hey Everybody! My name is Kenny and I was born and raised in Miami-Dade County, Florida. An interesting thing about Miami is the Coral Castle. It is a monumental structure made from very large and heavy limestone blocks that one man claims to have built yet there is very little known as to how he did it. This picture is of me at El Tazumal, in Chalchuapa, El Salvador and is attributed to the Mayans.

I currently work for the Miami-Dade Public Library System where I am an assistant and working towards librarianship. It is my second semester here at FSU in the MSI program. In my undergrad, I studied fine art and used to photograph with film a lot. I do it less frequently these days, mostly due to cost. I like to collect old books and records as well and enjoy spending time in nature and exploring different cultures. 

In this class, I hope to use my skills already obtained through years of photography and apply it to a more conventional and user-friendly design that aligns with the current trends in social media, communications, and libraries. I would also like to expand my knowledge and skills in video editing and production. I have done some in the past, but it has been a while. I am looking forward to working alongside everyone this semester and seeing how our ideas align.