Have you been wanting to connect with other students at the iSchool? Are you passionate about serving the Spanish-speaking and the Latinx community in libraries? Did you know that REFORMA SJSU iSchool Student & Alumni Group is accepting nominations for officer positions?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have found the right group. REFORMA SJSU iSchool Student & Alumni Group has several officer positions opening up this summer and it is a perfect opportunity to gain some leadership experience and satisfy e-Portfolio competencies. The following blurbs were written by several of our exiting officers. Read on and/or nominate yourself for a position by clicking this link:
https://bit.ly/reformasjsunomination
Position Title: Webmaster
Name: Lizette Lizardi
1: Brief description of duties: Updated the website and managed the newsletter.
2: Technical and professional skills you gained: I advanced my WordPress skills, I gained newsletter writing skills, and I experienced everything that goes into planning events for an organization.
3: Other things you gained by being part of REFORMA SJSU (e.g. confidence, friends, a network, etc.): I gained confidence and a network of inspiring, supportive, students, faculty, and professionals.
4: Favorite part about being part of REFORMA SJSU: My favorite part was being part of a group that made me feel like I belonged. It made me feel that I, as a first-generation Mexican-American bilingual student, belonged not only in this school, but in the field of librarianship. And that is a very important feeling to have. You need that feeling when you go on job interviews and when you make suggestions in your workplace. You need that feeling first before you can go out and provide services for your community. You need to feel like you belong in this space because that feeling empowers you to do your best.
5: Advice to those hesitating to sign-up for your position: It’s ok to feel like you don’t have all the skills needed for this position. It’s a learning experience and your co-members will be there supporting you along the way.
6: Average time spent weekly performing REFORMA SJSU duties: 5-7 hours weekly
7: Anything else you’d like people to know: I attended REFORMA National Conference this past November. Click on the post below capturing that amazing learning experience:
Position Title: Marketing and Social Media Liaison
Name: Guadalupe Martinez
1: Brief description of duties: Along with the co-Liaison, I am responsible for maintaining social media accounts and creating graphics with engaging content. I often interact with other organizations, institutions, and REFORMA chapters on social media and find ways to share jobs, internships, etc.
2: Technical and professional skills you gained: I definitely improved my communication skills (keep everything short and sweet!) and developed my design skills using the shared Canva site. This is important for any LIS professionals who will run instruction or programming – marketing is a huge component to turn out and be a resource to your community.
3: Other things you gained by being part of REFORMA SJSU (e.g. confidence, friends, a network, etc.): I love working with the team to come up with new events or content to post. We are all talented, hard-working, and great to work with – I love to highlight this dynamic as much as possible when I create something for social media.
4: Favorite part about being part of REFORMA SJSU: Since becoming a member and joining the board last summer, I have been involved in many internships and LIS work experiences. This role has been the most rewarding, and easiest to communicate in by far. I feel very comfortable expressing myself and asking for help when I need it.
5: Advice to those hesitating to sign-up for your position: This position is what you make of it. If you are a creative person who loves to spend time on the details, go for it! I have gotten paid positions as a social media coordinator, and now have a growing portfolio to share in future interviews.
6: Average time spent weekly performing REFORMA SJSU duties: 5hrs/weekly, sometimes more if there are many events or special announcements to go out. Most of this time is spent designing content and interacting on social media accounts.
7: Anything else you’d like people to know: If you’re into data analytics – this position is also for you! You can create your own e-port evidence or resume-building project to analyze our social media engagement, website hits, etc. There are so many opportunities here for professional development!
Position Title: Blog Editor
Name: Sarah Wilson
1: Brief description of duties: I develop and manage the blog, including seeking new blog posts & reviewing submissions. I am responsible for corresponding, answering questions, and promoting the blog. Upon final review, I upload new blog posts to the website.
2: Technical and professional skills you gained: I was able to work with WordPress again. I haven’t used it since I took INFO 200. In addition to this tool, I used Google Docs to connect with different people and interview them to generate content for the blog. I was able to practice my writing and editing skills in this position.
3: Other things you gained by being part of REFORMA SJSU (e.g. confidence, friends, a network, etc.): It has been very enjoyable to connect with all the other officers at the monthly meetings. The President and I met in-person at the start of my graduate experience and it was wonderful to connect with her again through this organization. I learned that the Vice President lives in my hometown. Our families became fast friends and I am so thankful that this group lent this opportunity. I also have plans to work with both Marketing & Social Media Liaisons at ALA National in Washington D.C this summer. The iSchool and Dean Huard kindly bestowed a travel grant to all three of us so that we can connect with and assist REFORMA National at the conference.
4: Favorite part about being part of REFORMA SJSU: My favorite part about being a part of this group is the cultural competency I gain by learning more about the REFORMA information community.
5: Advice to those hesitating to sign-up for your position: I am so thankful that I have now been a part of two iSchool leadership groups – The SRJ and REFORMA SJSU iSchool Student & Alumni Group. Not only have these experiences prepared me for my e-Portfolio, they have shaped what pathway I took with classes, and gave me a network of people I can turn to should I need advice or guidance in my future career. I also love that I can continue to be a member of this group post-graduation as an alumni along with finding opportunities to connect with my local chapter.
6: Average time spent weekly performing REFORMA SJSU duties: 2-3 hours. Sometimes more time is required and sometimes less depending on the week. The time commitment has been very flexible.
7: Anything else you’d like people to know: I was very excited to connect SPAN 132 instructor Aurelio Días Ferreira and his students to our group and visa versa over the last two semesters. I took SPAN 132, a beginning Spanish course, in 2020 with other iSchool students through SJSU´s World Languages Department. I have been able to continue my goal of learning and practicing Spanish and I am so grateful to Aurelio Días Ferreira for his willingness to share his knowledge and expertise in our Mini cafecito series. These sessions have allowed his students to interact and practice their newly formed skills with other fluent speakers and have created awareness about REFORMA. Feel free to check our first blog post in English and Spanish where I interview Aurelio Días Ferreira:
Position Title: Alumni Liaison
Name: Gretchen McLaughlin
1: Brief description of duties: Establish and maintain relationships between Group and iSchool Alumni; assist with programming that benefits students and alumni; and recruit alumni.
2: Technical and professional skills you gained: vision creation; goal setting; time management; collaboration; communication;
3: Other things you gained by being part of REFORMA SJSU (e.g. confidence, friends, a network, etc.): Serving REFORMA SJSU has connected me to those who share my beliefs about library services for all community members, especially our Spanish speaking patrons.
4: Favorite part about being part of REFORMA SJSU: Our group is forward thinking, supported by the amazing Dr. Villagran, and recognized by Faculty as one that significantly contributes to the library world.
5: Advice to those hesitating to sign-up for your position: We need you and your connections to support student endeavors. Like me, you do not need to be a fluent Spanish speaker, but rather an ally who can enrich the entire student group and be a leader within the Executive Board.
6: Average time spent weekly performing REFORMA SJSU duties: 1 hour, max.
7: Anything else you’d like people to know: It is a pleasure to work with dedicated students and I look forward to being involved as the group grows and changes.
Position Title: Membership Coordinator
Name: Stephani Duran
1: Brief description of duties:
- Handle questions and information requests regarding current or future membership as well as assist with inquiries that pertain to joining the REFORMA SJSU iSchool Student and Alumni Group Executive Board.
- Process membership applications in a timely manner to support group member benefits.
- Maintain and update over 100 membership records to ensure the dissemination of information regarding upcoming events, scholarship deadlines, newsletters, and continuing education.
- Assist with outreach efforts to attract potential members to run for officer positions
2: Technical and professional skills you gained: How to use google forms, the beauty of collaboration and independent work, managing membership information
3: Other things you gained by being part of REFORMA SJSU (e.g. confidence, friends, a network, etc.): networking, outreach
4: Favorite part about being part of REFORMA SJSU: Being part of something greater that is committed to supporting others
5: Advice to those hesitating to sign-up for your position: Don’t hesitate, do it, and do it now.
6: Average time spent weekly performing REFORMA SJSU duties: This really depends on whether its election time, if people are joining SJSU REFORMA Group, and if the group officers are sending documents for the other members to look at, to gain feedback, to get something replied to, answering questions, replying to interview questions, emails, attending meetings, researching things, collaborating with other group members for events or other things. It can be something like an hour a week to 15 hours a week. It just really depends on what’s going on with the group that week or if more members are joining the group, or if you have been tasked to help out with something significant to your position.
7: Anything else you’d like people to know: It can be a great way to meet like-minded folks and something more too add to your resume.
Position Title: President
Name: Rosa Rodriguez
1: Brief description of duties: Led group initiatives and meetings. Identified and created collaborative group partnerships with other iSchool groups. Represented group semester events, accomplishments, and goals to leadership.
2: Technical and professional skills you gained: Leadership, presentation skills, and knowledge on how to build a student group.
3: Other things you gained by being part of REFORMA SJSU (e.g. confidence, friends, a network, etc.): Networking with other Reformistas and connecting with SJSU iSchool students. Opportunities to present at conferences, to be an invited panelist for a symposium, organize an online conference, host an author showcase for REFORMA National, pilot a new iSchool graduation experience with virtual reality, and network with SJSU iSchool faculty.
4: Favorite part about being part of REFORMA SJSU: I am grateful to have been the founding president of this group, with a hand in building the group to support future librarians who are interested in working with Spanish-speaking communities. The opportunity to engage with other students who had similar backgrounds such as myself (e.g., first generation, bilingual, feelings of impostor syndrome) allowed me to help create a community and space for us to thrive. Creating the Virtual Cafecito con… series is a legacy that I leave behind for other leaders to continue building on and make their own. I also appreciated the opportunity to develop skill sets outside of the classroom. Being part of this group offered me the advantage of gaining new insights on what it takes to bring a group of students together who did not know each other but have the common goal to support our Latinx communities as future librarians.
5: Advice to those hesitating to sign-up for your position: I never saw myself as a leader, but I realized that I had leadership qualities and all I needed to do was take that first step to demonstrate to myself that SI SE PUEDE! This position will be what you make of it and we are each unique with our own ideas and knowledge. Bring them to this group and help continue to build a space for future Reformistas.
6: Average time spent weekly performing REFORMA SJSU duties: This will depend on what your own goals will be. You will decide how much time and energy you have each semester to dedicate to the group. The important thing is to make your own mark.
7: Anything else you’d like people to know: As I leave my role as president of this group, my dedication to being a Reformista will not end. I will continue to be a part of my local chapter and eventually at the National level. Joining the group introduces you to an organization that is supportive, and it starts here at SJSU. I also encourage everyone to be active in their local chapters. The friendships and relationships you build here will last long after you graduate, they may be your colleagues one day! Keep connected.
Position Title: Vice President
Name: Rosa Hughes de la Rosa
1: Brief description of duties: Responsible for bylaws and acting Treasurer. Support the executive board and lead meetings in absence of the President.
2: Technical and professional skills you gained: I really enjoyed presenting at iSchool events and gained proficiency in speaking on zoom and virtual spaces. I was able to collaborate with other members of the board and other iSchool student groups in virtual event creation and present to professors and leadership.
3: Other things you gained by being part of REFORMA SJSU (e.g. confidence, friends, a network, etc.): I believe that my involvement with REFORMA SJSU made me a more attractive candidate for the scholarships I was awarded and helped me have a clear set of accomplishments when applying for internships.
4: Favorite part about being part of REFORMA SJSU: Tapping into the amazing energy and scholarship that many REFORMA chapters are sharing was a highlight of joining this group. REFORMA National is an inclusive and diverse community and there are many opportunities to satisfy your community building and academic interests. The best part of the executive board is the people! Every meeting I was inspired by the enthusiasm, energy, and sheer intelligence of my colleagues and advisor. My family is lucky to have met the REFORMA SJSU Blog Editor and her family this year; our friendship is one of the best things to have come out of Grad school for me. I encourage you to make connections IRL as it is no coincidence that library folks who are interested in many of the same things would truly enjoy and connect with each other.
5: Advice to those hesitating to sign-up for your position: This is a great opportunity to put our ideals into practice. I am grateful to have the chance to collaborate with other students who value serving the Latino and Spanish speaking community.
6: Average time spent weekly performing REFORMA SJSU duties: As many of my colleagues have posted, the time the position can take will vary. When we had our monthly meetings and event planning it could be 2-3 hours that week. I wanted to attend as many meetings and events as possible to support our events and network with other organizations and these events always took place in the evening after the regular work day. As an active mother, grad student and library employee I was able to fulfill my responsibilities.
7: Anything else you’d like people to know: You do not have to speak Spanish or be Latinx to be part of REFORMA SJSU, you just need to have an interest in serving the community. Many people currently work or plan to work in libraries that serve Spanish speakers and this is a wonderful chance to develop and practice cultural awareness and competence.
