Lara Fountaine

The 'Family Dance Party' at Hunt Library was such a fun, engaging, and exciting way for children and their families to take part in our Libraries programming and spaces with dancing and music making. Courtney's DJ-ing and Lara's MC-ing brought so much energy to the event and ensured a memorable day the Libraries for all the participants including the children and their families. It was a generous, joyful, and inclusive event that brought in new members of the Libraries community and it couldn't have happened without Lara and Courtney's above-and-beyond effort and talents.

— Colin Keenan

Emily and Lara had an idea for how we could connect with students creatively--making "collage journals" with a coil binder and cast-off book covers. They thought it would be a creative outlet and stress reliever for students during a time of overwhelm and uncertainty. Kelsey agreed and brought more ideas to the effort. Emily rescued old book covers from their trash can destiny, and purchased fancy washi tapes, stickers, markers, magazines, beautiful decorative papers, and many, many more kinds of collage items so the students would have lots of options. The "Creative Journaling" sessions that have been held in the Fishbowl Forum turned out to be a SMASHING SUCCESS--drawing students who were looking for something relaxing to do between classes, or who were experiencing anxiety and needed an outlet for it. Since the first session, many students have returned every month -- they just can't get enough! I wish I had started a collection of all the things the students have said about Creative Journaling and about the women behind it. It has meant so much to our students. Emily, Lara, and Kelsey found a beautiful way for students to revitalize and rejuvenate themselves, and it has made a world of difference for the mental health of many.

— Robin Harper