2024-2025 Impact Report_final version

Where Are They Now?

Teddy Fisher

I graduated from USD in 2018. I worked at Copley all four years in Access Services as an undergraduate student assistant and then for another six months after graduation as a Night and Weekend supervisor. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in Neuroscience at McGill University. The best thing about working at Copley that prepared me for the workforce was learning to interact with anyone who came into the library. Any job you have, no matter what you do, involves people. Whether it’s client-facing or just collaborating with colleagues, you’ll always benefit from being able to interact with lots of different people. Copley

is one of the few places on campus where you see the whole Linda Vista community, both those affiliated with the university and other community members. Being the first face people see when they walk through those doors gives you a rare opportunity to make people feel welcome on campus and in Copley. And you get a fun opportunity to talk with people you might not otherwise. The best advice for new Copley Library student assistants is to just slow down and enjoy your time at Copley. Have fun with your co-workers and really engage with everyone who comes up to the desk. It’s the best job on campus, and once you’re done at USD, I think you’ll look back fondly on your time at Copley. My favorite memories of Copley were working the closing shifts on the weekends and talking with all the regulars who came in every Friday or Saturday night.

Erica Skerven

I graduated from USD in 2019 and attended USD’s law school from 2019 to 2022. I first started working at the library during my first semester at USD (in 2015!) and worked there for four years. My first two semesters, I worked at the front desk in Access Services and then I transferred downstairs to Technical Services where we ordered books, performed all the labeling and stamping. Currently, I work for the County of San Diego as a lawyer, where I defend the County in lawsuits and, ultimately, take cases to trial. My work as a Copley Library Student Assistant greatly helped prepare me for the workforce. Working

at the front desk prepared me for the customer service aspect of “real-life” and the unanticipated nature that I often face. I never quite knew who would show up at the front desk which really helped me improve my adaptability. Working “downstairs,” as I always called it, really honed my attention to detail and uniformity. While it was fascinating to take a look behind the curtain, the level of detail necessary to process each book surprised me at first, but soon became second nature. As a lawyer, my adaptability and attention to detail have helped me enormously. My advice for any new Copley Library student assistant is to take advantage of the 10pm to 2am shift! It might sound crazy but when I was super busy with schoolwork, that shift was a saving grace. It was quiet enough that I could get all my library work done and then crack open a book to study for class. Also, note the flyers on the bulletin board and get to know people. You never know who you’ll meet at the library or what you’ll find to do! My favorite library experiences were always the holiday parties. I loved the opportunity to see everyone (while not working), watch a movie, and snack!

20 | HELEN K. AND JAMES S. COPLEY LIBRARY