WEBVTT NOTE Created by CaptionSync from Automatic Sync Technologies www.automaticsync.com 00:00:00.086 --> 00:00:01.016 align:middle >> Good evening. 00:00:01.096 --> 00:00:05.046 align:middle I'm incredibly honored to receive the Ken Haycock Award and to be here among 00:00:05.046 --> 00:00:08.546 align:middle so many passionate and future-forward information professionals and peers. 00:00:08.706 --> 00:00:14.446 align:middle I want to begin by thanking you, Dr. Anthony Chow, Dr. Mary Ann Harlan, Dr. Ken Haycock, 00:00:14.746 --> 00:00:17.736 align:middle the Student Awards and Scholarship Committee, Professor Jonathan Hunt, 00:00:18.046 --> 00:00:21.676 align:middle and all the incredible iSchool faculty and fellow students I've had the privilege 00:00:21.676 --> 00:00:25.646 align:middle of learning from and growing alongside throughout my MLIS journey. 00:00:26.066 --> 00:00:30.446 align:middle For me, this award is not just a recognition of my work today, 00:00:30.446 --> 00:00:33.836 align:middle it's a tribute to the path I've walked to get here and to the people 00:00:33.836 --> 00:00:35.476 align:middle and places that made it possible. 00:00:36.286 --> 00:00:40.916 align:middle I grew up in poverty, in a home where books were scarce and life was often unpredictable. 00:00:41.356 --> 00:00:42.846 align:middle But school was my sanctuary. 00:00:42.846 --> 00:00:46.996 align:middle It was in classrooms and libraries where teachers reminded me of my worth, 00:00:46.996 --> 00:00:49.876 align:middle nurtured by curiosity, and opened doors to stories 00:00:49.876 --> 00:00:52.436 align:middle that helped me imagine a bigger and brighter world. 00:00:52.886 --> 00:00:55.306 align:middle That experience shaped everything that came next. 00:00:55.756 --> 00:01:00.236 align:middle My path hasn't always been traditional, but it's always been grounded in purpose. 00:01:00.236 --> 00:01:04.206 align:middle Transitioning from classroom teacher to librarian wasn't just a career move, 00:01:04.636 --> 00:01:06.876 align:middle it was a calling to deepen this kind of safe 00:01:06.876 --> 00:01:09.946 align:middle and transformative space that once changed my own life. 00:01:10.346 --> 00:01:14.996 align:middle I've spent 25 years as an educator, as a high school English teacher, journalism 00:01:14.996 --> 00:01:19.186 align:middle and yearbook publication advisor, and now as a teacher librarian. 00:01:19.906 --> 00:01:25.296 align:middle Each role has deepened my belief -- excuse me -- 00:01:28.596 --> 00:01:31.306 align:middle that literacy isn't just about mastering content, 00:01:31.786 --> 00:01:36.866 align:middle it's about identity, confidence, and connection. 00:01:38.046 --> 00:01:41.916 align:middle Advising an award-winning yearbook program has taught me the power of student storytelling 00:01:41.916 --> 00:01:45.436 align:middle and the responsibility we have to help young people navigate information 00:01:45.436 --> 00:01:46.746 align:middle with purpose and integrity. 00:01:47.426 --> 00:01:51.176 align:middle The MLIS program at San Jose State gave me the skills and the language 00:01:51.426 --> 00:01:53.046 align:middle to bring those values into the library. 00:01:54.416 --> 00:01:58.846 align:middle It helped me turn vision into action and expanded my impact in ways I never imagined. 00:01:58.846 --> 00:02:02.466 align:middle From designing inclusive programming and implementing diversity audits 00:02:02.466 --> 00:02:05.486 align:middle to launching initiatives that center marginalized voices, 00:02:05.486 --> 00:02:09.416 align:middle I've been able to apply what I've learned in real time in service of the students 00:02:09.636 --> 00:02:11.426 align:middle that I serve here at Enochs High School. 00:02:12.236 --> 00:02:16.066 align:middle Sociologist Ray Oldenburg introduced the concept of the third place -- 00:02:16.066 --> 00:02:20.326 align:middle a space outside of home and work where people build community, connect, 00:02:20.326 --> 00:02:21.996 align:middle and experience a sense of belonging. 00:02:22.416 --> 00:02:25.486 align:middle But it was Dr. Mary Ann Harlan who brought that concept home for me 00:02:25.726 --> 00:02:27.826 align:middle in the context of school librarianship. 00:02:28.356 --> 00:02:32.346 align:middle She wrote, "The school library as a third place offers a place of refuge. 00:02:32.596 --> 00:02:36.766 align:middle A space where an individual can pursue informational needs and interests 00:02:36.766 --> 00:02:40.416 align:middle that they may not be able to explore in other environments due to perceived risks." 00:02:40.966 --> 00:02:46.046 align:middle I believe school librarians must be that kind of space for young people, now more than ever, 00:02:46.046 --> 00:02:51.676 align:middle a space for safety, identity, curiosity, and intellectual freedom. 00:02:52.436 --> 00:02:56.916 align:middle Researcher R David Lankes once wrote, "The mission of librarians is to improve society 00:02:56.916 --> 00:02:59.606 align:middle through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities." 00:02:59.606 --> 00:03:03.356 align:middle For me, that knowledge creation includes helping students discover 00:03:03.356 --> 00:03:05.426 align:middle who they are and what they can become. 00:03:05.816 --> 00:03:11.276 align:middle When a student tells me the library is a place where they feel safest and most like themselves, 00:03:11.656 --> 00:03:15.626 align:middle that they come here to laugh with friends and do their homework and escape the pressures of home, 00:03:16.096 --> 00:03:17.566 align:middle I know I'm honoring that mission. 00:03:18.196 --> 00:03:22.366 align:middle My goal as a school librarian is to create a library where students see themselves 00:03:22.596 --> 00:03:25.796 align:middle on the shelves, in the programming, and in the relationships they build. 00:03:25.796 --> 00:03:31.656 align:middle A space where curiosity is celebrated, community is fostered, and literacy grows. 00:03:31.926 --> 00:03:37.016 align:middle The MLIS program also empowered me to lead beyond the walls of my library, 00:03:37.266 --> 00:03:41.646 align:middle whether by advocating for equitable access to professional development or pushing 00:03:41.646 --> 00:03:45.116 align:middle for representation and inclusion in school-wide practices. 00:03:45.656 --> 00:03:48.526 align:middle I'm proud to be part of a program that doesn't just teach librarianship, 00:03:48.906 --> 00:03:53.116 align:middle it models the leadership, collaboration, and compassion our profession is built on. 00:03:53.516 --> 00:03:57.066 align:middle Thank you again for this incredible recognition and for believing 00:03:57.066 --> 00:03:58.966 align:middle in the promise of librarians like me. 00:03:59.196 --> 00:04:03.506 align:middle We're not just curating collections, we're cultivating belonging one reader at a time. 00:04:04.196 --> 00:04:08.036 align:middle I also want to thank my family, whose love and encouragement sustained me through late nights 00:04:08.036 --> 00:04:11.786 align:middle and long papers, my fellow educators and friends who encourage, challenge, 00:04:11.786 --> 00:04:16.226 align:middle and collaborate alongside me and whose shared passion and partnership push me to grow and lead 00:04:16.226 --> 00:04:20.786 align:middle with purpose, and my students, who remind me every day why this work matters 00:04:20.786 --> 00:04:22.716 align:middle and inspire me to always lead with heart. 00:04:23.416 --> 00:04:25.986 align:middle I once was a student who needed a safe space. 00:04:25.986 --> 00:04:28.856 align:middle Now I show up every day determined to be that space for others. 00:04:29.306 --> 00:04:31.136 align:middle To my fellow graduates, let's keep showing 00:04:31.136 --> 00:04:33.426 align:middle up for our students, our communities, and each other. 00:04:33.826 --> 00:04:38.356 align:middle Be bold in your advocacy, intentional in your leadership, and generous with your curiosity. 00:04:38.746 --> 00:04:41.156 align:middle The library is not just a place, it's a promise. 00:04:41.456 --> 00:04:42.816 align:middle Let's keep that promise alive. 00:04:43.256 --> 00:04:47.206 align:middle It's an honor to carry forward the legacy of this award, libraries change lives. 00:04:47.206 --> 00:04:49.646 align:middle And I'm committed to ensuring that every student who walks 00:04:49.646 --> 00:04:52.046 align:middle into mine knows that their story matters. 00:04:52.186 --> 00:04:53.026 align:middle Thank you so much.