Celebrating our graduating student employees
Congratulations to all of our graduating student workers! At UA Libraries, we employ more than 100 undergraduate and graduate students. Five of them talked to us about their post-graduation plans and what they most enjoyed about their library jobs.
Kimberly Ramsey worked in Special Collections and is graduating with a Master of Library and Information Science.
In June, she will be starting a new job as a Curatorial/Museum Specialist with the UA School of Information and the Western Archaeological Conservation Center. Kimberly said: "I really enjoyed working with the various material that is stored within Special Collections. I have a passion for old books and other cultural oddities, so it was fun finding some of the most random but amazing things that we have in our collection. I put together a pop-up exhibit towards the end of my time here, and I used that space to really show off some of my favorite things, such as bookplates and antique herbals."
Juhyung Sun (pronouns: he/him/his) is receiving master's degrees in Public Health and Business Administration and will be joining The Chartis Group, a healthcare consulting and analytics firm this summer. He'll serve as a Senior Advisor in their Informatics & Technology Practice Area, which focuses on helping healthcare clients think through their technology and enterprise strategy.
Juhyung was a graduate assistant on our User Experience team in Administration. He admitted that it’s hard to pick what he liked the most about working at the Libraries. He said: "I enjoyed helping advance its mission of lifelong learning, especially given my years on campus. I loved diving into the field of user experience and thinking through its tools, applications, and burning philosophical questions. And of course, I have truly appreciated working with faculty, staff, and fellow student workers, who have never made me feel anything less than welcome. Thank you all for a great year!"
Synniah Carolus is graduating as a Care, Health, & Society major with a minor in Sociology. After graduation, she will be moving back to Georgia and pursing a master's degree in public health.
Synniah worked at the Health Sciences Library Ask Us desk. She said: "I enjoyed working with my supervisors the most. They are very nice individuals with their own unique personalities that make the atmosphere fun and enjoyable. Going to work never really felt like work, and I can honestly say that I am going to miss them!"
Samantha Ellsworth worked at the Fine Arts and Albert B. Weaver Science-Engineering Libraries, as well as the Administration department in the Main Library. She is receiving a Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Science with minors in Microbiology and Japanese. This summer, she plans to get hands-on experience as a veterinary assistant and will also study for the GRE. In addition to spending the next year preparing for veterinary school, she hopes to study abroad in Japan. She said, "After vet school, I'll probably never have the opportunity to live abroad again, and it would be a good chance to help me grow as a person and use the three years of Japanese I've taken."
Samantha's favorite part about working at the Libraries are the people. She explained: "My co-workers were, in fact, the first friends I made when I transferred to the university from a small rural community college and gave me an immediate sense of community. Coming into work is never dull when you get to work with people you easily connect to. The staff here are always supportive and looking out for their student workers' best interests. At previous jobs, I felt like I was always being thrown under the bus by supervisors to appease others, but the staff here really stand by you in tough situations. Everyone is so wonderful here and I'm glad I got to meet you all."
Emily Gould worked at the Health Sciences Library and is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with minors in Business Administration and Physiology. After graduation, she is moving back to Phoenix to work in human resources.
When asked about what she liked about her library job, she said: "The staff and other student workers are incredibly nice and helpful and make coming to work fun! I will definitely miss working here!"
Aimee Harvey is receiving a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a minor in Spanish. This August, she is starting law school at Arizona State University.
At the Libraries, she was a part of the Delivery, Description & Acquisitions department, where she worked in interlibrary loans and technical services. She said: "I love the people. Everyone is so kind and warm, and all the full-time staff takes a genuine interest in what the student workers are up to outside of work. I was always so happy to go in every day. Also, I loved the pot lucks! Edna makes the best salsa and as a college student, I appreciate all the free food I can get!"