PRESS RELEASE from Shawsheen Technical High School
Shawsheen Librarian Katie McGinness receives 2022 Audrey Friend Scholarship
BILLERICA – The Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA) awarded Shawsheen Tech Librarian Katie McGinness the 2022 Audrey Friend Scholarship during their annual conference last weekend.
The award was presented to Katie during the MSLA Annual Conference on March 26. The scholarship, named after a long-time member of both the Massachusetts School Library Association and the Massachusetts Library Association, is presented annually to “an applicant who is currently enrolled in an academic program to earn the degree or certification necessary to become a library teacher.”
“I didn’t know my dream job would be a Librarian when accepting a math aide position at Shawsheen a few years ago” Katie said. “I have always loved reading, so it was inevitable that during my time as an aide I would find my way to the library. It was there that I met the soon-to-retire Librarian Tricia Healey, who shared about the school librarian role.”
Katie McGinness is in her second year as Librarian for Shawsheen Valley Technical High School, after two years of mentorship from recently retired successor Healey. “Tricia’s mentorship was critical for me to attain this position, but more importantly, she instilled in me the importance this role plays in school culture and student success.”
In her short time as Librarian, Katie started the literacy initiative “Walk a Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes” to encourage students to read about people different from themselves, while promoting students to read more. This effort resonates with Katie’s vision for the library, in being a safe space for students to be themselves and explore. Katie believes “the most important job a school librarian has, is being a safe and reliable adult for students.”
Katie has a bachelors degree in English from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and joined Shawsheen in 2018. She is enrolled at Salem State University, and is expected to graduate with a Masters in Education (Library Media) in Fall 2022.
The Massachusetts School Library Association works to ensure every school has a school library program that is fully integrated at all grade levels across the curriculum and has a significant and measurable impact on student achievement.
The MSLA Awards Committee, Wendy Garland, Ingrid Mayyasi, and Patricia Fontes, are proud to present Katie McGinness the Audrey Friend Scholarship for 2022, and they congratulates Katie on all she’s done and plans to do as the Librarian at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School.
About Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational School District
Established in 1965, Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical School District (SVRVTSD) is a student-centered public institution serving the five member towns of Billerica, Bedford, Burlington, Tewksbury, and Wilmington. Shawsheen Valley Technical High School serves more than 1,300 students in grades 9-12 and is “Dedicated to Excellence in Education”, integrating academics with more than 20-vocational-technical career pathways.
Shawsheen is located in Billerica, MA on a sprawling 100-acre campus. The school building features state-of-the-art facilities and athletic fields, twenty-four varsity sports, and dozens of extra-curricular clubs and activities. All of Shawsheen’s faculty and staff are committed to the mission “to provide a positive learning experience in a safe educational environment that encourages all students to reach their full potential, emphasizes the value of a strong work ethic, and prepares them for adult life in a competitive world.”
Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical School District also provides high-quality educational programming for youths and adults through Adult Education, Afterschool Exploratory Programs, Community Events, and Summer Camps and Enrichment Programs. Shawsheen is consistently working to increase its rich and varied programming opportunities for the community, which supports its mission that education is a lifelong, continuous process with many paths to living a successful and fulfilling life.
