Ala Little Melissa [WORK]

6. In your own words: I believe librarians are interdisciplinary scholars who play a key role in the development of student agency and identity through knowledge and strategies to increase motivation, self-efficacy, and self-determination including time management, planning, and setting goals. Most importantly librarians are facilitators of communities of support. I am grateful to have a terrific community of support and several wonderful mentors through the USC Libraries. One mentor in particular is Dr. Ross Scimeca. I have been working with and mentored by Ross for a little over four years in all aspects of librarianship from outreach, research and reference to information literacy instruction to the importance of library spaces and collections. Also, being a member of the senior capstone projects research advisory group, along with Ross and Dr. Sophie Lesinska, for the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences English and Narrative Studies Departments for the last two years has had a tremendous impact on my approach to student-centered teaching and learning. Working closely with students and engaging in the strategic research process in connection to their personal narratives ignited my pursuit of an Ed.D. in Educational Psychology. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to develop and synthesize my research, teaching and leadership knowledge and skills through an interdisciplinary approach to all that I do.

Ala Little Melissa

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