McIntyre Library Student Employee Scholarship winner, Audrey, seen here reading with her pet chicken.
We did not print our newsletter, Off the Shelf, this spring, which is where we usually publish library announcements. However, we want to honor our most recent scholarship winner for her outstanding work as a McIntyre Library student employee.
Our sixth annual McIntyre Library Student Employee Scholarship has been awarded to Audrey Carlson!
Audrey has worked in circulation and equipment checkout at the main desk since spring 2019 and was promoted to lead student assistant this year. She also works as a student assistant with stacks maintenance in collection development. She is pursuing a double major in Elementary and Special Education and is a big fan of our picture book collection located in the lower level. In her free time, Audrey participates as a volunteer with the Reading Partners Program. This campus organization partners with the Eau Claire Area School District to match UW-Eau Claire undergraduates with Eau Claire K-12 students who could use some help developing their confidence in their reading skills.
In Audrey’s essay, she addresses personal loss prior to starting college, and the acceptance she found interviewing (with Kong Yang, circulation manager) and being hired in the library. She also talks about what she has learned through her work in the library. Here is an excerpt:
“I have found comfort in the library’s six floors and peace in my time spent with coworkers and supervisors. I feel my time at the library has challenged the development of my social skills, and I have experienced real growth in my abilities to manage a variety of interactions with patrons. As someone who struggles with social anxiety, I find that this job is the perfect place to regularly practice my exposure to situations that I once found uncomfortable. The skills I have learned and practiced at this job are highly transferable to other parts of my life as well and I am grateful every day for the growth I have made over the past four semesters at the library.”
While the experiences gained working in McIntyre Library help students make connections and prepare for their careers, we are happy to help make college a little more affordable for Audrey and future student employee recipients. When you plan your charitable contributions this year, please consider donating to our Student Employee Scholarship fund.
Donate online at https://connect.uwec.edu/library by selecting McIntyre Library Student Employee Scholarship from the drop-down menu.
Congratulations to Audrey!
