MLIS Student Valarie Kingsland Stands Out for her Exceptional Professional Promise

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The School of Library and Information Science at San José State University is proud to announce the winner of the 2014 Ken Haycock Award for exceptional professional promise is student Valarie Kingsland, who is graduating in May 2014 with a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science. This coveted recognition is awarded annually by peers and faculty of the school’s Student Awards and Scholarship Committee.

Since applying to and being accepted into the Circle of Learning program in 2011, Ms. Kingsland, an Alaska Native, distinguished herself by serving as 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 president of iSchoolConnect [the school’s joint association for students and alumni] and becoming a skilled user of social media tools to create community and professional networks,” read one faculty member’s nomination.

Active in extracurricular activities like SLISConnect’s “23 Things for SLIS Students and Alumni: Essential Skills for Success,” Kingsland also presented at professional association conferences, including the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM). Additionally, she served on a panel “Circle of Learning: Virtual Indigenous Community Development for MLIS Students,” at the Library 2.012 Worldwide Virtual Conference.

With her many professional and community service commitments, Kingsland was also a “very strong student,” according to another faculty member. “Valarie has cemented her excellence in academic performance by earning an impressive 4.0 CUM GPA in the MLIS program.”

Kingsland’s impressive service accomplishments, valuable contributions to professional associations, and excellent academic record set her apart. She “clearly exhibits exceptional professional promise for leadership among the December 2013 and May 2014 graduating SJSU SLIS students.”

In addition to the prestigious Ken Haycock Award, Kingsland receives a $1,000 certificate and will serve as the school’s outstanding student speaker during the convocation ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, May 17, 2014, in San José, Calif. Graduating students who attend the optional in-person graduation ceremony will be hooded by convocation speaker Courtney L. Young, the 2013-2014 president-elect of the American Library Association.

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