If I had to be honest, my interest in LIS started after discovering that an MLIS was required to be an archivist at the Walt Disney Company when I was considering changing my career. This was the catalyst that led me to think about what attracted me to this type of job, what enjoyment I got from my current and past job experiences, and what I wanted to do in the future.

The Information Organization pathway seemed right for me because of my experience and interest in systems design. I was also interested in Archival and Preservation because I was feeling anxious about working on more franchise projects with high community expectations yet riddled with historical knowledge gaps. I discovered LIS in a tough time in what was supposed to be the pinnacle of my career dreams, only to feel the disadvantages of knowledge loss and subpar information retrieval. My courses would either give me the insight to understand how things got so bad or inspire me with ideas to make things better. This program was truly a lighthouse during that difficult time.

The process of discussing each competency and justifying my abilities further reinforced my conviction that I had chosen a field that was right for me at my current life stage. I had been a programmer, project manager, and designer in entertainment software development, one of the many industries that are currently struggling with knowledge loss from restructuring. I wasn’t sure where to go next, but I knew I could transfer my skillsets and find satisfaction in supporting creators in their research and information retrieval and preserving not just final products, but also the iterations of work and failures that led them to take a different path toward their achievements. The information behaviors I learned from living and working in Japan are also strategies I hope to build bridges with.

These experiences and the competencies gained in this program have given me the framework and tools to observe, analyze, empathize, and strategize in these and other information environments I may find myself in and a mindset to maintain their longevity. I intend to be a member of the Society of American Archivists to stay current and connected to my interests in archival and information retrieval services. I am also privileged to have been offered the position of Engineering Librarian at Arizona State University and I hope to use this opportunity to continue to learn and gain more experience providing information literacy and relevant services to students and faculty in the broader and academic engineering community.

I’d like to thank Dr. Virginia Tucker for her reviews and guidance toward a successful e-portfolio, the Fall 2024 Tucker co-hort for their fellowship, Professors de Lorenzo, Liu, Luo, Hall-Ellis, Horodyski, Hofman, Ghosh, Ozoh, Perry, Stephens, Torres, Zhang for their instruction, and my classmates who participated in discussions and group projects with me these past three years.

Lastly, special thanks to Dr. Main for her help getting me started and helping me transition from the program.