CMU Libraries employs nearly 100 students during the academic year and appoints student volunteers to serve as library ambassadors. Depending upon the department in which they work, our student employees serve our patrons, operate the building, prepare materials for use, maintain our equipment, and so much more. Our library ambassadors promote the libraries throughout the university.
We’re sad to see our students leave, and we are so proud of their accomplishments and goals!
Halima Abdi, a student employee in the Clark Historical Library, is graduating with a degree in Interior Design. Halima will work as a manager at the flooring retailer in her hometown where she’s worked since 2013.
Andrea Balser, a student employee in Access Services, is graduating in May with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Personal Financial Planning. After graduation, she will work as a financial planner at Vintage Financial Services in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Taylor Bernstein, a student employee in Documents on Demand, will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences. She plans to work as a graduate assistant while completing her master’s degree in Public Health, after which she plans to enroll in the Physician’s Assistant program in 2021.
Patricia Barlow-Bray, a student employee in Access Services, will intern this summer at the Northern Michigan Children’s Assessment Center. Her major is social work and her minor is American Sign Language. She plans to graduate in December and hopes to find work at a non-profit organization through which she can continue to be an advocate for survivors of sexual aggression. Patricia also plans to pursue a master’s degree in social work.
Caitlinn Burnham, a student employee in Business Services, is graduating in August with a degree in Human Resource Management and a minor in Business Information Systems. After finishing her last class this May, she plans to take the summer off before beginning CMU’s online MSIS program in the fall. Her summer plans include moving home to Ludington, enjoying the beach and summer weather, traveling to Washington D.C. and Nashville, and searching for a fulltime job. Caitlinn also plans to adopt a dog.
Derrian Cooley, a student employee in Access Services since 2016, started working at the library as an undergrad and continued through his grad studies. Derrian will graduate in May with a Master of Science degree in Administration with a concentration in Health Services Administration. After graduation, he plans to move back home and spend a year working as a medical assistant or medical scribe before continuing his education in medical school preferably somewhere out west.
Brad Davis, a student employee in the Access Services, is graduating this August with a master’s degree in Cultural Resource Management. He has worked at the library both as an undergraduate (2014-2016) and graduate student (2017-2019). After graduating, he plans to pursue a career working in museums and public history. Brad will likely move out of state to find a job and start the next chapter of his life. He’s hoping to work in a science and technology museum either on the east or west coast of the U.S.
Zoe Deschaine has worked as a graduate assistant on the IT Technology Awareness and Training Team since its inception in March of 2018. Her duties included creating self-paced training materials for online use and planning and delivering face-to-face and webinar-based workshops to faculty, staff, and students. Zoe will graduate with a master’s degree in Music Education in May. She has been teaching music and technology at St. Joseph the Worker in Beal City, Michigan, since the Fall of 2018 and plans to continue doing so in the future.
Lauryn Dingle, a student employee in Documents on Demand, is graduating this May with a degree in Dietetics. She is contemplating many different careers and hopes to be accepted into FoodCorps this fall.
Alexis Downing, a student employee in Access Services, is graduating in May with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Finance. She will work at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service within the U.S. Department of Defense.
Jade Driscoll, Library Ambassador, will graduate this May with a Bachelor of Science in English/Creative Writing, but she’ll be returning to CMU in the fall to pursue a Master of Arts in English/Creative Writing! She received an assistantship through the English Department to teach sections of ENG 101 while working toward her degree.
Jared Grech, a student employee in Access Services since 2016, is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Mathematics. This summer, he will be a Project Management Intern at J. Ranck Electric, Inc. in Mount Pleasant.
Mackenzie Morison, a student employee in Access Services, will be an adventure specialist intern at the North Star Reach Camp working with campers who have serious illnesses. She is majoring in Therapeutic Recreation with a minor in Outdoor & Environmental Education and plans to graduate in December. During the fall semester Mackenzie hopes to receive another internship opportunity.
Tom Ostrom, a student employee in Access Services, plans to graduate in December with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. This summer, he plans to pursue an internship in Fermentation Science.
Lindsey Rogers, a student employee in the Library Research and Instruction Services department, is graduating in May with a Bachelor of Arts that includes a double major in Art History and History and a minor in Museum Studies. Lindsey has worked at the Research Help Desk in Park Library for three years, and for the past year, has also been volunteering in the Clarke Historical Library with CMU’s archivist, Marian Matyn. In the Clarke Historical Library, Lindsey has processed collections for the archive and curated a new exhibition of the Olga Denison 20th Century Native American Art Collection. Collections she has worked on include case files from Michigan Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Weaver and letters from CMU student Daisy Bazzett in the 1930s. Lindsey is passionate about making history and art accessible and understandable. After graduation, she plans to work in a museum or library before going to graduate school to earn either an M.A. in Art History, a master’s degree in Library Science, or a dual M.A./M.L.S.
Leah Ryal, a student employee in the Business Services office, is a freshman who is majoring in Psychology and Art History. She has been instrumental in editing the database for CMU’s external Art On Campus website. This summer, Leah will study abroad at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. She will be taking a class in positive psychology which will examine factors that relate to happiness and fulfillment. Then, she plans to spend the rest of the summer with her family in Tucson, Arizona.
William Schaber, better known as Billy, has worked in the Clarke Historical Library for two years. He hopes to graduate in the fall with a B.A. in English Language & Literature with a Creative Writing concentration. He likes writing poetry and was published in the Central Review last spring. His goal is to return to the Detroit area and continue writing.
Grace Smolinski, a student employee in the Clarke Historical Library, is a junior majoring in Graphic Design and minoring in Art History. She is heading to Florence, Italy, this summer for an independent study abroad in drawing. When she returns, she will be continuing a Graphic Design Internship at the Farbman Group.
Samuel Tibebe, a student employee in the Clarke Historical Library this past year, is graduating in May with a Geology major and Mathematics minor. His program included fieldwork in California’s Death Valley and Arizona. While at Clarke, Samuel researched the Douglass Houghton collection of primary materials (including field survey notes and survey maps of Michigan, 1837-1840), and contributed findings to the Clarke blog. Samuel looks forward to a career in a STEM field.
Marcus Van Arkel, a student employee in Access Services since 2016, is majoring in Marketing and Logistics. He will be interning at Echo Global Logistics in Chicago, IL, this summer. After his internship ends, Marcus plans to seek fulltime job offers in the Transportation Logistics industry preferably in Michigan.
Grace Watylyk, a student employee in the Business Services office, is graduating this May with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in Outdoor and Environmental Education. Grace has worked in the library maintaining the arts and historical exhibits since 2017. This summer she will be an intern stationed in Alaska with the U.S. Forest Service through the Student Conservation Association. Her position title will be Visitor Services Intern, and she will work out of the Begich Boggs visitor center, which is about a 1-hour drive from Anchorage. She will interact with visitors and lead interpretive programs including guided hikes and campfire programs.
