MARA Student Receives Second ARMA Scholarship

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James Carpenter, a Master of Archives and Records Administration student at the San José State University School of Information, is quickly making a name for himself in the information management profession before even graduating.

The ARMA International Educational Foundation’s Access Leadership Scholarship is the second prestigious award Carpenter has received from the organization. He was also the recipient of the 2017 ARMA Golden Gate Scholarship for a multimedia presentation he created using Prezi software.

Despite his previous success, he was “surprised and humbled” when he found out he was chosen to receive the $2,000 scholarship that will help him finance his master’s degree.

“I was hopeful that I would have a chance but was unsure given I didn’t really know how competitive the other applicants were or how many other students applied for the scholarship,” he said. “It was really exciting to have the opportunity to go to my first ARMA International conference in Orlando (Florida) and participate in two check presentation ceremonies.”

Carpenter credits instructors Dr. Lisa Daulby and Dr. Pat Franks for their support and encouragement not only for his academic endeavors but during the scholarship application process, as well.

“James is an intelligent, knowledgeable, innovative and creative scholar whose academic performance throughout the program has been exemplary … and I’m privileged to be part of his academic journey,” Daulby affirmed.

The graduate student said the scholarship would help him complete the online master’s degree program in 2019. In the meantime, he works as a records assistant for the Miami office of the Stroock & Stroock & Lavan law firm.

“I’ve gained practical experience and learned so much on the job,” Carpenter said. “The position is a challenging one, but the MARA program has given me valuable information that has adequately prepared me to meet many of the obstacles I’ve had to face, and I’m excited to continue my learning and academic pursuits.”

Carpenter said eventually he would love to land a senior-level management position in the records management profession and “continue to learn as much as possible about records administration.”

“One of the characteristics that I like about the records profession is its versatility. No matter what type of business you’re interested in, expertise in records management is a necessity,” he said.

To learn more about Carpenter, read his iSchool Community Profile. More information on ARMA International’s scholarship opportunities can be found on the organization’s website.