Melinda Ingoldsby, a junior majoring in English, is a transfer student at Washburn University whose passion lies in reading books and exploring literary works. Ingoldsby is an exceptional student who aims to become a librarian so that she can help other people in society and be able to establish her own public library.

She decided to join Washburn to pursue her dreams after taking a long break from school.

“I attended a community college after high school but did not have a positive experience and honestly I really did not know for the longest time what to do with my life. However, I eventually figured out what I wanted to achieve and now I am on my way to fulfill my dream,” Ingoldsby said.

When she returned to a student life after a long absence, it was challenging for her at first. She had to struggle with her own inner self.

“When I came to Washburn, I was worried that I would be older than everybody and off to the side. I was also a mother and a wife. So, I had to balance my time between my home life and my student life,” Ingoldsby said.

Despite the difficulties of managing her school and family life, she is determined to get an education and make her dreams a reality.

Vanessa Steinroetter, a professor of English and Ingoldsby’s mentor, said that Ingoldsby is a hardworking, diligent, responsible, focused, punctual, disciplined and self-motivated student whose presence in class adds even more to the learning experience for the other students, making her a role model to them.

“She is an outstanding student with excellent written work, and she participates a lot. She also goes the extra mile in order to learn even though it is useless to her. I am so impressed with her because she shows an interest in whatever she does and is always willing to take risks,” Steinroetter said.

Along with being an exceptional student, Ingoldsby is described as kind and gentle, having a warm smile on her face at all times. She is also committed to helping others.

“She always shares the knowledge that she gains from the research with the class,” Steinroetter said.

Ingoldsby is also a supplemental instructor in a class taught by David Weed, senior lecturer of English. According to Steinrotter, Weed, who is a colleague of hers, told her that Ingoldsby is a hardworking and supportive student.Weed added that being a student herself she really cares about the other students’ progress and follows up with them if they are having difficulty with something, which reflects her supportive personality.

Ingoldsby desires to become a librarian, help other people in society and establish her own public library. To fulfill those wishes she chose English with a literature emphasis.

“I really want to be a public librarian because it impacts and benefits the community and provides so many services. So, I selected the general education which is not exactly a specific degree necessarily unless you go to master’s level but I just thought it would be a good base background for working with books is knowing literature,” Ingoldsby said.

She finds her happiness in helping others and her passion for literature. Ingoldsby feels becoming a librarian is an ideal fit for her future and the set of skills she is currently showcasing in class.

Edited by Simran Shrestha and LeSha’ Davis