Get to know me!

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About Me

Hello everyone!

My name is Monica (she/her), and I am a Youth Service Associate at my local library with a background in biology. I've only been at my library for a few months, but I already love the work I'm doing. This is my third semester at Dominican University. So far, I've only taken the required courses, so I am quite excited to get to choose what electives to take. I am torn between learning more about the different options I have as an MLIS student or focusing on how to expand within the Youth Service Department.

Outside of work and school, I enjoy spending time with my significant other, friends, and family. This usually consists of rock climbing or playing board games. The newest game we have played is called Wingspan. (I would love any game recommendations!) My significant other and I are also proud reptile owners. We have 2 ball pythons, a leopard gecko, a crested gecko, and a blue-tongued skink! I think that reptiles are so fun and interesting and I'm sure that our collection will continue to expand in the future. It definitely helps that my partner is studying zoology and that these guys the types of pets that I'm not allergic to.


Photo Source: Personal Photos


Fun fact: I recently got engaged (on National S'mores Day!), so now I have the opportunity to juggle school, a relatively new job, and wedding planning! Hopefully, everything goes well!


Photo Source: GIPHY


My Relationship with Technology

As an online student and library worker, I use technology every single day. Although I am familiar with the technology I use and am capable of getting what I need to do finished, I still feel like I don't know how technology actually works. I can check emails and Canvas. I can do my needed research and upload programs onto the library's website. But, as far as I know, turning things on and off again is the magic protocol for fixing all my tech problems. Beyond that, I am completely lost (probably because all my friends are computer science guys). I prefer it when technology is intuitive, but with how much technology has advanced, I fear that my running knowledge of what to do is going to be left in the dust.

When it comes to running a blog, I don't think I've had one since Tumblr was at its peak. I am completely starting from scratch with this one and I must admit it took me an embarrassingly long to add that GIF into my post. 😅 I look forward to learning more about technology and how to incorporate it more into my children's programs! At the moment, the most complicated thing I do with technology is being able to screen share with the department TVs. Hopefully, I get some ideas to show the kids I work with. Right now, my next main task at work is to figure out how to connect a DVD player to the Smart TV in our new activities area. It has our IT guy stumped too! He even tried connecting and disconnecting the system, so obviously, it looks like a lost cause to me.

Comments

  1. NMZumpanoAugust 29, 2024 at 2:54 PM

    Great to meet you, Monica. Congrats on your engagement! Such an exciting time. Believe it or not I know another library student with a ball python. Do your snakes cohabitate?

    Good luck with the IT issues! I can't help with that but am looking forward to exploring more about technology with you this fall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Monica JanAugust 29, 2024 at 3:29 PM

      Hi Nicole,
      Thank you and great to meet you too! Each of my pets have their own enclosures. Great question!

      Delete
  2. Syen P.August 30, 2024 at 1:25 PM


    Hi Monica!
    So nice to meet you! Your reptile pals are absolutely adorable! I love board games so I am definitely going to check out Wingspan. Some other board games I recommend are Really Loud Librarians, Acts of Insanity (best in a bigger group), Exploding Kittens, and Codenames. Congratulations on your engagement and that is so fun it was on National S’mores Day! I must say that it also took me a very long time to figure out how to put in a GIF. I had to phone a friend, who also did not know, and then finally after trying every possible combination it worked. I feel like there are a number of us who are newer to blogging, so I look forward to seeing how we all grow in our blogging. Good luck with the DVD player connection!

    ReplyDelete
  3. A. MacsonAugust 31, 2024 at 12:22 PM

    Hi Monica! I'm also in the club of juggling working, school, and wedding planning (as well as being a board game lover- Scout, Zoo Vadis, and Everdell are some of my latest to the table) and it can be a lot. In more similarities, it also took me Way Too Long to get through adding a functioning GIF.
    Working to mesh different eras of tech is currently one of my work headaches as well- we got new iPads for our students but all of our headphones are still corded so we now need to wait for adapters or buy and then figure out connections for 20 Bluetooth headsets. I wish backwards compatibility was still prioritized. Good luck with your DVD player!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mary MckenzieSeptember 1, 2024 at 4:29 PM

    Hello Monica! First of all, big congrats on your engagement! Love that you knew it was National Smore's Day, it is one of my favorite summer and fall treats. I absolutely love all your reptiles!

    I am in the electives part of my degree requirements as well, I have gone with taking multiple options because I am genuinely curious about everything and also hesitate on sticking with one focus area. I always like to keep my options open in case I do not like where I go I have knowledge of a different department. I do feel though in all honestly employers prefer you specialize in a specific are versus an overall general knowledge. But I want to make sure I do what is best for me and ensure I end up satisfied where I end up at.

    Best of luck to you with everything going on, be sure to take care of yourself!

    ReplyDelete

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