Published: October 15, 2019 by Havilah Steinman

[image:13258, image left]What does the original Captain Kirk, crocheting and San José State University’s iSchool Masters of Archives and Records Administration have in common? The illustrious Kim Edwards, of course! The latest to be featured in our Day in the Life Series, Edwards works full time as a Records and Scientific and Technical Information Manager at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, and this piece represents her inaugural involvement with student life!

Edwards is a member of her local chapter of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators (ARMA) and has served on the board several times. She is also an active member of the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA) and the Virginia Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (VAGARA). 

If you weren’t already impressed, she also serves on the mentorship committee for the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM). Edwards became a Certified Records Manager through ICRM by taking a five-part test and completing a case study that covers topics an experienced records manager might have accumulated over their career.

When I queried her about her coursework she commented, “I can’t think of anything I would have done differently looking back at my coursework. Since I have been in records management for nearly 20 years, the courses have consisted (for the most part) of things I already do every day. That’s not to say it hasn’t been challenging. It most definitely has been challenging juggling my job and other activities with school, but I’m on the one-class-at-a-time plan, and I know that the end is in sight!”

Because of her intentional involvement in professional associations, Edwards attends lots of conferences! In fact, Edwards was able to see the world’s fastest computer, Summit, when she attended a National Labs Records Management Working Group meeting at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The group consists of records management staff from contractor-run Department of Energy Labs. But if you thought that was cool, wait till you hear that she recently won an autographed poster when she attended an event to see William Shatner, the original Captain Kirk. This techie is also a total treckie! 

Edwards shared about what she enjoys most in school, “I enjoy the group projects because of the diversity of the groups. In the groups I’ve been a part of, we were physically located all over the U.S., which makes it a challenge to meet, but the groups I have been in have been fantastic and we have made it work.”

Edwards is not only diligent in her professional life and current classes, but also stays focused on the future, “I’ve been staying on top of my e-Portfolio, so hopefully when I get to my last semester I won’t lose my mind!”

Please see below for a description of a typical day in Edwards’ life as an iSchool student.

5:15 a.m. I get up and walk the dog, go for a run, and drink coffee in that order!

8 a.m. I arrive at work where I have multiple projects typically going on at once. I usually eat breakfast between 8-9 at my desk and use this time to also look over my calendar and journal to see what’s pressing and check emails.

12 p.m. My coworker and I like to go for a quick two-mile hike at a nearby trail during our lunch hour. When we return, we have lunch at our desks.

5 p.m. Several days a week, I meet a friend to do more hiking or solo runs. On other days, I go home to make dinner with my husband and hang out for the evening with our dog and two cats.

9 p.m. This is when I do homework and studying. When I have a lot of coursework, I might skip my lunchtime hike to get some schoolwork done. When I have time, I enjoy crocheting. I participate in two festivals each October where I set up a tent, tables and displays and sell my crocheted things.

I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about a successful student in our MARA program! Please check out our other entries in the series below.