My Simmons Journey
Posted March 22, 2018 by ShanTil Yell
It’s officially spring time, but you wouldn’t guess it if you were to peer outside the window right about now. There are heaps of snow on the ground–remnants of our fourth nor’easter this month–and the sky is grey and overcast. I’m curled up at home and sipping on a mug of spiced tea, and today I’d like to share a little bit about how I got to Simmons in the first place and where I’m tentatively heading next. And by next I mean figuring out what classes I’m taking in the fall semester. Nothing too long-term at this point!
I’ll be honest. I applied here on a whim. I was at a juncture in my life where I needed to make some kind of radical change, and I thought to myself, “Why not dig up that childhood dream of yours to be a librarian and see if you can make that happen?” I was giddy at the idea, and then my rational brain chimed in to tell me that while that was cute, I had next to no library work experience, my social sciences undergraduate degree seemed a bit disjointed with the LIS field, and I had been out of school for a few years already and might not cut it in a competitive master’s program. I was doing a swell job of convincing myself that I didn’t belong, which of course made me less giddy. But a good friend of mine who went to school down the street at Wheelock rallied behind me and suggested I look into Simmons. I gathered some information and liked what I found, decided to fill out and send off all the necessary things, and waited in a fair amount of agony for the acceptance letter that eventually came just over a year ago.
By some combination of miracle, gumption, and a whole lot of caffeine I’m almost halfway through the program, which is hard to believe. I’m learning a ton, and I really do think I’m in one of the best cities to be educated in LIS. I’m figuring out what it is that I like to do and what type of career I might want to go into. For example, I watched how paper conservation is carried out at the Massachusetts Historical Society earlier this week and thought it was one of the coolest things ever. It’s something I want to know more about and maybe even seek some training for. The options are plentiful.
Next up, I’m hoping to take coursework Rare & Special Collections and Archival Access and Use, along with my personal favorite, The Medieval Manuscript from Charlemagne to Gutenberg. Shout-out to my advisor who has been so encouraging and helpful throughout this winding road of decision-making. Wherever I end up this fall, next spring, and to infinity and beyond, I have no doubt in my mind that it will be interesting.