INTRODUCTION

“Who gives a **** about an Oxford comma?
I’ve seen those English dramas too, they’re cruel
So if there’s any other way
To spell the word, it’s fine with me, with me,”

Oxford Comma, Vampire Weekend

Introduction
When I began my journey at San Jose State University as a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) student, I was certain that I would (barely) complete my degree in seven years. Life circumstances changed, and I was able to throw myself into the program and complete it in only two years; faster than the average student by far. This shocked me to the core, as I had always been told that I was a promising, clever, and intelligent student and an excellent writer, however, imposter syndrome always rears its ugly head in the end. Until this point in my life, I had resigned myself to never enjoying or being challenged by my work, never feeling as if my life mattered, and always wondering if anything I wanted to try was even worth doing.

What resulted from this MLIS adventure is this massive e-Portfolio, filled with the intense amount of information I’ve learned in only 8 semesters; I never took any time off for summers, and have been working tirelessly on this project since Fall 2022. I can only hope that those privileged enough to read this series of documents defending my education at SJSU have the same awe, admiration, and pride in this groundbreaking work that I do. It is a testament to the fact that the human spirit endures despite woe, setbacks, burnout, and shame.