With notable accomplishments, including degrees and certifications, receiving a $5,000 grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council as a Librarian for the first time in her career is Jawanda Wilson’s most exciting career moment.
Wilson has completed and received degrees in Clinical Health, Business, and Workforce Leadership. Her college education began at Hines Community College, where she earned her Associate of Arts degree in 2011. In 2013, she received her Bachelor of Social Work and her first Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2016 at Alcorn State University (ASU). She completed her second master’s, a Master of Science in Workforce Education Leadership, in 2018.
Wilson’s first job was at Alcorn was as a Reference Assistant, helping students find books, articles, and other resources available for research on various topics. The library’s databases, for example, offers articles that fit instructor’s standards of relevance and peer review. In 2023, she became the Reference Librarian. Wilson stated that the most enjoyable part of her job is, “finding different articles for students and helping them locate certain research.”
In her eighth year of working at ASU, Wilson received a $5,000 grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council to update resources in the archives. She stated, “I was so proud of myself to actually win it.” The grant is focused on strengthening the archives to preserve historical materials by repairing damaged items and ensuring their long-term protection. Funds will also be used to acquire equipment and technology to restore old photographs to their original appearance, and to handle a variety of picture sizes, from large frames to small ones. She is currently working on more grants for the library.
The grant represents a great deal for Wilson. She notes that if her kids want to attend Alcorn, they will have more resources available when the time comes. It is a symbol of how things that you once believed cannot be done can be achieved. Despite her accomplishments, she is still striving to learn more ways to improve the library for now and the future.