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Essay on Lifelong Learner

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Those around me would describe me as curious, inquisitive: a lifetime learner. Reading any book I can get my hands on, eyes bleary from late night blog skimming, fingers stained from newspaper print, and eavesdropping on everyday conversation, I am someone who appreciates several tangled avenues of obtaining information and learning. I would say that I am “just plain nosy.”

My first steps along these avenues went well beyond the normal curiosity children exhibit concerning the world surrounding them, because growing up as an African American female in a working class household increased the intensity of my questions. Why, despite both of my parents working 40+ hour weeks, was the rent sometimes late? Or during a particularly …show more content…

My coursework sparked ideas that I couldn’t always articulate, like how the significance of Gauguin’s yellow paint used for the skin color of women of Tahitian women resonated in Jessica Hagedorn’s portrayal of foreign men Dream Jungle. Or being absolutely enraptured by the end of Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon and desperately wanting to read something else that could evoke more of these experiences.

Much like when I was a child, I remain intellectually curious about a number of subjects, but as you cannot exactly major in “the world,” studying library and information sciences will allow me to engage in a variety of contexts every day. Pursuing an MLIS degree will best prepare me to attain my professional goals of providing others with access to an abundance of resources. Further, I hope to be a part in demonstrating that new technology does not have to be a deterrent to access. I initially developed this goal as a work-study within Jones Library. Most hours were spent shelving nonfiction in a tightly packed basement. An afternoon’s reprieve from shelving cookbooks came in the form of an older man who was unfamiliar with the online catalog system. Being able to verbalize steps to something I did almost every day without a thought, the idea that I could effectively communicate new information to someone, helping them learn strongly resonated with me.

Although I did not expect it, working as an administrative associate for a public administration

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