BOONE—Michal Duffy, Nobuaki Tanaka and Cam McCarthy are the fall 2008 University Library Student Assistant Scholarship winners at Appalachian State University. Each student received a $500 scholarship.

The students were recommended by their supervisor and also completed an application with a brief essay describing how working in the library has impacted their education.

Three student employees in Appalachian State University’s library have received scholarships to assist with their academic expenses. Pictured along with their supervisors are Brian Estel, left, Nobuaki Tanaka, Connie Pendley, Cam McCarthy, Simms Toomey, Michal Duffy and University Librarian Mary Reichel. (photo courtesy of Belk Library and Information Commons)

Duffy is a senior majoring in Spanish who works in Special Collections, mainly with historic records and photographic materials. In her essay, Duffy wrote, “I have always been a proud ASU student, but learning more about the key figures and steady progress of the university has shown me I am part of a dedicated educational legacy. The people who have created this university to what it is today really cared about the university, the quality of education, and the well being of the entire Appalachian Family.”

Tanaka is a sophomore computer science major who is also a non-traditional student and a Japanese international student. He works with the library’s systems and technology services team. In his essay, Tanaka wrote, “My best experiences at Appalachian have been with the library staff. They often ask me about Japan as well as other cultures, because I have been lucky to travel a lot. I feel confident that I can continue to grow here academically, and be a positive influence on the ASU library.”

McCarthy is a junior physical education major from New Zealand and a starter on the soccer team. He works in the Instructional Materials Center (IMC) and delivers library materials to faculty on campus. McCarthy wrote in his essay, “All my life I’ve been involved in athletic, competitive environments where results matter. Working in the IMC has shown me another point of life where results matter. However, results in the library are associated with patron satisfaction and quality of service, not scores via competition….working in the library has helped me become more aware of the library and campus resources.”

The scholarships are funded through an endowment that was created in 2007 to support the education of student assistants who perform vital library tasks and without whom the library could not fully operate.

Proceeds from the annual Carol Grotnes Belk Library Advisory Board fundraising dinner support this scholarship. This year’s dinner will feature award-winning author Jill McCorkle and will be held Sept. 26 in the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.

Donors who are interested in further supporting this