The School of Information proudly announces that Erin Mundy, a student enrolled in the Master of Library and Information Science degree program, was awarded a $4,000 Graduate Equity Fellowship sponsored by the College of Graduate Studies at San José State University.

“This generous award has given me an incredible opportunity to move ahead on my career path,” said Mundy. “I am now fiscally able to enroll in more classes and better focus on my MLIS studies.”

Mundy said she received “remarkable support and guidance” from the iSchool’s award-winning faculty and staff for the Graduate Equity Fellowship application, and throughout her MLIS journey.

“Dr. Alman and Dr. Sweeney have been especially encouraging,” she noted. “Both have given me instrumental feedback on past assignments and projects, and they are amazingly gifted educators in their respective subjects.”

The fellowship program offers opportunities for faculty mentoring, and Mundy says she looks forward to “working with Dr. Sweeney, who has graciously accepted the role to be my mentor for the fellowship term.”

Receiving the Graduate Equity Fellowship is an “absolute godsend” for Mundy, who lost her job due to COVID-19 and has found balancing parenthood and her graduate studies especially challenging during the pandemic. Determined to continue her education, Mundy used the extra time at home to apply for scholarships.

“After hours of working on applications, asking for recommendations, and going through several essay revisions, all that hard work and persistence finally paid off,” she reflected. “Undoubtedly, I feel overjoyed about all the opportunities this award has already afforded me.”

Mundy, who lives in San Diego County, graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in English, and started the MLIS program in 2018. While enrolled in INFO 210 Reference and Information Services, Mundy created an infographic, Outreach Marketing Artifact & Plan: The Digital Humanities Initiative at San Diego State University, which was featured in the 2020 Exemplary Student Showcase. The infographic highlights innovative spaces, technologies, and activities of the Digital Humanities Initiative at SDSU, where Mundy discovered and fostered her passion for the digital humanities. She is currently taking two classes per semester with the anticipation of graduating from the MLIS program in the spring of 2022.

The Graduate Equity Fellowship awards program encourages and assists economically disadvantaged students in the pursuit and completion of their master’s degree programs. It acknowledges students like Mundy who have success in overcoming financial barriers and helps them complete their educational program by minimizing their debt burden; awards range from $2,000-$4,000 per year. The program draws from a diverse group of applicants.