Catch up with a Libraries student scholarship awardee: Meghan Giller

The NC State University Libraries awards a number of part-scholarships every year to our outstanding Libraries student workers as part of our efforts to support student success and affordability. Since 2018, we've awarded 60 scholarships of varying amounts to 37 students. For the academic year 2023–24, philanthropic support for the Libraries Student Scholarship Fund has allowed us to support 13 of our talented students with scholarship support worth $47,650 in total. This profile is one in a series that lets our scholarship winners tell their stories.

Meghan Giller is a Meteorology/Horticultural Science major who works at the Natural Resources Library. Her interest in inclement weather grew enough throughout high school that she aspires to a career at the National Weather Service or as a television meteorologist—or even teaching meteorology at a university like NC State.

What are your hobbies and activities outside of school?
When I am not in class, I have many fun hobbies I like to participate in. My best friend Katherine once said she is "A trier of much, master of little," which I significantly relate to! I enjoy reading about fictional dystopian societies like in The Hunger Games and Divergent and books like The Giver. I grew up around Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain, so I am always down for a hike up a mountain! I'm a big fan of Minecraft, Call of Duty games, Fall Guys, and many others.

I am also a member of many different organizations on campus. I volunteer and participate in the American Meteorological Society Student Chapter (where I’m president), Broadcast Meteorology Club (secretary), and Soundings Club (president again) at NC State.

Why did you choose to work at the Libraries? What roles have libraries played in your life in general?
I chose to work at the Libraries because I have always loved reading, and I wanted to find a job on campus that combined organizational skills and my love for books. I also enjoy the quiet atmosphere of a library. It is tough to stay focused at home, so I always want to study there.

What have you been most looking forward to this school year?
I am most looking forward to achieving my academic goals and making new friends along the way. 

What do you hope to do after you graduate?
Five years from now, I want to be a successful broadcast meteorologist for a news station or a professor teaching broadcast meteorology to college students. I would love to work at any United States news station or to teach students to be good broadcasters. 

How will a Libraries scholarship help you on your educational/personal path? Is there anything specific that the scholarship will enable or help you to do?
The Libraries Student Scholarships help me afford more than my tuition at NC State. I must also afford my class books, supplies, and school meals. Many people mention the "Ramen Noodle Diet" when they go to college, but as a student who wants to make sure I have the proper fuel for my body, scholarships help me afford good food.

Not having the financial burden of these factors is so important to all students. It makes it easier to focus on our education rather than how we will pay for everything. Thank you so much to the donors of the Libraries Student Scholarships!

Learn more about the Libraries Student Scholarship Endowment here, and donate directly here.