Meet…
22 October 2008
Student Dana Weber Receives Scholarship
Dana Weber, who plans to graduate in Spring 2010, was thrilled recently to be awarded the Clarence F. and Lyle V. Burmahln Scholarship, one of many scholarships available through SJSU. Weber and her husband recently welcomed a son, now two months old, and also have a 3-year-old daughter. While this may sound daunting, she says that the mental work of school is actually a nice break for her.
"It's challenging," she admits, since she is still dealing with the sleep deprivation that goes along with a baby who does not sleep through the night. One of the aspects of the SLIS program that Weber loves, though, is that "everyone’s got a full plate, so we all understand each other." She has found the environment to be incredibly supportive.
According to Weber, the scholarship award came as a "wonderful surprise." Since she and her husband are a single-income family while she is in school, the recent fee increase for special session students left her wondering how she was going to afford her textbooks. The scholarship came at a perfect time for her. "I'm really thankful SJSU has these scholarships available," she added.
The essay that Weber wrote in order to be considered for the scholarship focused on the fact that she decided to pursue a career in librarianship relatively late. "Everything about the program and library and information science is a culmination of everything I've done in my life. This is my calling. I knew it was right for me," she points out. The essay reflected her passion for librarianship, and the idea that everything she has done in the past—working with information and ideas, computer consulting, managing, and training—has been useful in her education. "Nothing was wasted," says Weber.
Weber has also written two as-yet-unpublished books for children, and is currently working on a third, You Can't Go to the Zoo Naked. "I love that as a librarian, you can be a writer, a reader, a thinker, and still do your job. All these outside interests and hobbies, you've got a place to contain them."
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