Student Spotlight: Angelique Marrero, Special Collections Desk Assistant

The Special Collections Research Center blog series "Student Spotlight" features student employees who contribute to the work of the SCRC. Guest author Angelique Marrero, class of 2020, is an undergraduate NC State student majoring in Middle Grades Education with a concentration in Language Arts and Social Studies in the College of Education. Angelique has worked as a Student Desk Assistant in the Special Collections Reading Room since January 2019.

Please describe in a sentence or two the work that you do in the Special Collections Research Center.

The work that I do in the Special Collections Research Center involves assisting researchers in the Reading Room with the materials they have ordered for their research. I also help process and organize the collections we receive.

What has been most interesting to you about your work?  What new things have you learned? Have you made any surprising discoveries?

Through working at the Special Collection Research Center, I have had the opportunity to go through different types of projects that have shown me the various lenses through which we can view the past. The most interesting part of my work is unraveling the stories and patterns within a collection. For example, during the most recent project I worked on, "John Kessel Collection of Science Fiction Magazines," I learned a lot about the medium in which authors published their materials. There were many renowned authors in this collection who got their start in these magazines, authors like Orson Scott Card, George R.R. Martin, Isaac Asimov, and Ursula K. Le Guin. It was a very surprising collection!

If you met someone who was unfamiliar with archives and special collections, what would you want them to know? What should new researchers know about the work you do?

If I met someone new and unfamiliar with archives, I would encourage them to take a moment and find a collection they are interested in researching! I would show them how to use the collection guides and the request form on the SCRC website. I would want them to know that while everything looks intimidating, it is also a lot of fun and they will learn a lot from using the materials.

What are you studying, and what do you hope to do in your future career?  Has your work in the SCRC changed how you look at your studies or your future career plans in any way?

I am currently studying Middle Grades Education with a concentration in Language Arts and Social Studies. In my future career I hope to be a language arts teacher and in that role I want to inspire young adolescents to take pride in their education. Working at the SCRC has shown me the many avenues that we can learn in. A glimpse into history doesn’t have to be from a textbook. My time here and at NC State has shown me to be creative and open minded about the way I choose to teach.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your work with the SCRC?

I would like to add that everyone here has been amazing to work with and I always enjoy coming to work at the SCRC! If anyone is curious about archives this is a great place to start!