The San José State University School of Information has awarded 23 incoming and continuing students scholarships to assist them as they pursue graduate degrees.

Master of Library and Information Science and Master of Archives and Records Administration students created visual presentations using software applications like Kizoa, PowToon, Prezi, and more to express their understanding of how the library/archives professions impact communities globally or the importance of professional leadership.

Sonny Dulfo said he was reading a book by Dr. Patricia Franks and amid participating in strategic planning at Utah’s Division of Archives and Records Service when he decided to submit a presentation to apply for one of the Special Session scholarships for MARA first-year students.

“I asked myself about the importance of records and how to become a professional archivist. It was an overwhelming goal, but I felt I could achieve it with the help of iSchool faculty and people at work,” he said.

The incoming MARA student felt grateful to win the scholarship and created a “Wall of Gratitude” in his office where the scholarship boosts his confidence. As the son of Filipino immigrants who experienced many natural disasters before moving to the United States, keeping genealogical records is an important and personal matter to Dulfo.

“I want to set an example to my family to continue keeping records — our family records. I am looking forward to learning about archives administration and learning from SJSU’s knowledgeable faculty and staff,” he said.

As an aspiring public librarian, Ashley Hickok was drawn to the MLIS program’s curriculum and asynchronous online delivery of classes.

“When I compared the classes offered at the iSchool to other schools I was looking at, I was really blown away by how many more options the iSchool had. It really seemed like there was an elective for anything you were interested in, and things you didn’t know you were interested in until you saw that class,” she said.

Being awarded the Director’s Scholarship for Excellence was exciting and unexpected, Hickok explained.

“I thought it was a great way to get started and really helped me financially,” she said.

For Cassarah Head, receiving one of the Special Session Scholarship for Incoming Students brought on several feelings.

“One, excitement because I had an idea that resonated with the scholarship board; two, it reaffirmed to myself that I am going in the right direction; and three, relief because cost is one of the big stresses of college,” she said.

With a career goal of making knowledge accessible to everyone in a public library setting, Head wants to create an environment that embraces its community and brings it together. Her presentation, “Checking into Libraries,” reflects that purpose.

“I started talking to my husband about how libraries can be a positive impact on communities. I think if a community feels like part of their library, they will also see it as a community center where they and their neighborhood can thrive,” she explained.

Having two babies in full-time daycare, the decision to go back to school was scary for Adair Spence as it was a financial concern for her family.

“Winning the [Director’s Scholarship of Excellence] was not only an honor but a relief. The scholarship allowed us to breathe just a bit easier as I begin this exciting new adventure,” she said.

As a former teacher, and avid reader, Spence said she knew there would be an abundance of research to prove the more a person reads, the more successful they are in all aspects of learning.

“Reading the data for the infographic only reaffirmed my passion for finding the perfect book for each student. In an age of new own voice writers, the young adult literary world is helping spark a new crop of readers and subsequently learners,” she said.

“Inclusivity is immensely important in all aspects of life, but education is among the top. Each student, each person, should be able to see themselves on the pages of the books that surround them.”

Heading into her fifth semester, receiving a scholarship was a good way to start 2019 for Olivia Muzzy.

“It is such an honor to receive this support from SJSU to continue my degree! This award is a significant financial support for the coming semester, as it will pay for three credits, and it’s a wonderful way for SJSU to recognize the academic successes of their students,” she said.

Muzzy considers herself a big fan of bullet journaling, so most of her ideas for her presentation started on paper with several scratched-out ideas and scribbled notes about her academic goals and projects.

“From this brainstorming, I identified five key areas that I wanted to highlight to provide structure to the presentation and I wrote a few paragraphs for each area to describe my school projects, ideas, and goals. I also went back through my past semesters and drew examples directly from my completed assignments – I am amazed with how much I’ve learned in the MLIS program so far,” she noted.

Continuing MLIS student Annalee Hickman said the funds will make a significant impact in her life.

“I am so grateful for this scholarship, as it is helping me to finish this degree and continue on my career trajectory. I have already completed a law degree, so I’ve been a student for a while, and as a single mom, this scholarship helps alleviate some of the burden all this education has on my daughter and me,” she said.

Hickman aspires to be a tenured law library faculty member at an academic law school, an editor-in-chief of an academic journal, and a director of an academic law library. She is currently a tenure-track law library faculty member at Brigham Young University Law School.

Rosie Bromberg said the scholarship is “great,” not only for the much-appreciated help in financing her degree, but also as motivation to keep working hard on realizing her goal of becoming a librarian.

“In the future I hope to work in public libraries, specifically with teens or young adults. I feel that they are an age group where libraries still struggle to connect in many ways, but where our skills and resources can have an amazing impact when we do make that connection,” she said.

According to Dr. Cheryl Stenstrom, the scholarship committee chairperson, more than half the recipients reside in California while the rest live across the United States and internationally. Special Session MLIS and MARA students who have been at the iSchool for at least one term are eligible to apply for spring awards. Newly-admitted students are encouraged to apply for both new Special Session scholarship awards, as well as the Director’s Scholarship for Excellence.

Applications for the Director’s Scholarship for Excellence and Special Session Scholarship (incoming and continuing students) for the fall 2019 semester will be accepted until May 1, 2019. The scholarship committee will review all submissions, select recipients, and notify recipients in June 2019.

To learn more, visit the Financial Aid and Scholarship web page.

Spring 2019 Scholarship Recipients

Director’s Scholarship for Excellence

• Ashley Hickok
• Amaris Mang
• Kristen R. Proctor
• Jana Remy
• Adair Spence
• Yvonne Tran

Special Session MLIS First-Year Scholarships

• Deisy Arevalo
• Catherine Marie Bass
• Cassarah Head
• Tabitha Hilliard
• Margaret Stanny
• Morgan S. Taylor
• Haider Yazdanie

Special Session MLIS Continuing Scholarships

• Karen Bliss
• Roseanne Bromberg
• Amanda Cronkright
• Stephanie Frame
• Kellsie Gifford
• Annalee Hickman
• Courtney Hopkins
• Olivia Muzzy

Special Session MARA First-Year Scholarship

• Sonny Dulfo

Special Session MARA Continuing Scholarship

• Alisa Chen (2x winner)