One year ago...

Just over a year ago, on November 3, I wrote a blog post about being accepted into the Higher Education master's program at UM.  At this point in 2011, I still had a semester left of my degree at the UM School of Information and my hope - as I outright stated in my blog post - was to find a job for the fall where I could work 30ish hours per week and finish my degree in Higher Ed.  It's funny to see things written in the past - hopes and dreams - and realize that sometimes, they do happen.

More importantly to this reflection... Wow, how fast a year has gone!  I remember sitting in my Intro to Higher Ed class and receiving the email that indicated my acceptance into the master's program.  I knew I could learn a lot in a year, but little did I know how much.  Between finishing my master's degree in Information, taking a semester's worth of purely higher ed classes, and starting a new job at the School of Information, I am overwhelmed and so excited with the knowledge and skills I've acquired in the last 12 months.  I've learned about research, information literacy, privacy and security, non-profit and library management, student development, student affairs, recruiting, networking - and those are just the high-level buzz words.  I've learned about community outreach from academic libraries, skills to facilitate technology instruction, "reference interview" best practices that transfer into my job of meeting with prospective students, how to plan large events, considered ways to interact with and support international students, and so much more...

After this semester is over (classes end one month from today!) I will cherish the chance to make meaning of all of this and consider how it has helped me professionally and personally.  For now, I'm going to trek through my final four and a half weeks of school, learn as much as I can, and then, relax and reflect.

My first real event is right around the corner

As part of my new job at the University of Michigan School of Information (UMSI), I am planning our major fall recruiting event - Connect with UMSI which will bring prospective students to an afternoon full of information about the program, including admissions and financial aid, career services, and an overview of program offerings.  I've learned a lot so far about what it takes to plan this event, and I'm learning more each day.

I'm excited to have the chance to host this next Saturday, and spread the word about the program that helped change my life.  I'll reflect on the event in next week's blog post.  Feel free to spread the word if you know of interested and engaged people who would be a good fit for our School!