Ashten Vassar-Cain
Photo of Ashten Vassar-Cain
My name is Ashten and I am a second year online SLIS student concentrating in Cultural Heritage Informatics. I have a background studying human rights, which led me to be passionate about archives and community memory work. I work as a GSA with SLIS, and am involved with the Society of American Archivists Accessibility and Disability Section and with the SLIS Student Advisory Board. I enjoy writing poetry, concerts, and drinking tea.
Entries by Ashten Vassar-Cain
When I first applied to Simmons, I was not sure if I was suited for an online program. I had just come from an in-person degree at my previous institution and wasn’t sure which modality would suit me best. When I had to relocate for my job, I knew attending in person would not be possible. Still, I was worried, having not completed online schooling since the early days of the COVID pandemic. I quickly learned that I would still feel like a supported and valued member of the Simmons community. Group projects with classmates, working with professors on LIS research, in-person field placements, office hours, and virtual events at SLIS all made me feel less alone and helped me make the most of my studies. I learned to connect more deeply with my passion for archives and cultural heritage informatics, and also to push myself outside of my comfort zone and explore new areas of the field like academic publishing and coding. If I had any advice for myself starting this program after a…
