Library student employee Cam Kelley is quick to recognize everyone on campus she considers “a delight of a person.” Happy to talk about her English major and minor in Theater Studies, Cam takes obvious pride in the SMCM community and the ways we support each other. According to Cam, she is an English major because “I like to have a little joy in my life!” The minor in Theater provides an interesting lens to approach the English major and to enjoy the collaborative process of theater. She has especially enjoyed JCB’s Victorian Adaptations and Leah Mazur’s Costume Design class.
Currently a junior planning to graduate in the spring of 2020, Cam will continue studying at SMCM for an additional year as she earns a Master of Arts in Teaching. While working at a preschool for the past two summers, Cam discovered how much she enjoys working with kids, resulting in her decision to pursue the Master’s degree. Ultimately, Cam hopes to teach at an elementary school and become a published novelist.
Though born in the area, Cam has lived for several years in Wisconsin. Cam has close ties to campus; her parents held the baby shower for a fetal Cam at Queen Anne Hall.
Among the many colleges Cam toured while selecting a school, SMCM stood out. She remembers talking to Robin Bates for almost an hour about some of the exciting SMP projects students were researching. In addition, SMCM stood out as a place full of life and character.
Cam has worked at the library for 1 year, since the fall of her sophomore year. With librarian parents, it was kind of inevitable. Cam remembers years spent keeping herself entertained in the quiet reading area while her parents worked. After briefly considering working at the Daily Grind, Cam decided she prefers books to making coffee and enjoys the chill environment of the library. Besides, everyone at the library is so nice (and we didn’t even have to pay her to say so!). As a bonus, Cam relishes the opportunity to meet virtually everyone on campus and learn about what others are reading and researching.
In addition to her role as a student employee at the library, Cam is a fellow for SMART, the Sexual Misconduct Advocacy and Resource Team. SMART provides a 24/7 sexual misconduct hotline and hosts events on campus to provide sex education to students. Essentially, SMART aims to make sure everyone on campus feels comfortable and safe, and knows where to turn if they don’t.
Cam will complete an SMP that focuses on modern-day monsters and how they represent the fears we have retained over time, as well as those we no longer experience. She will combine her interests in creative writing with her research skills to create an SMP that is part fiction, part essay.
As far as the future is concerned, Cam has many ideas. She may pursue a PhD and a future as a professor or focus on elementary literacy. Either way, you can be fairly certain Cam will be writing. We’re looking forward to reading that novel; in the meantime, we’re glad to have Cam working here at the library with us!