Hello, my name is Rachel E. Kim, and I am an intern writing on behalf of the Fairfax Library Foundation. Welcome to “Where are they now?,” a blog series about the Foundation’s past scholarship recipients and their current situations.
For the third blog of the series, I interviewed Mr. Nathaniel Brusch, another recipient of the scholarship and a graduate of James Madison University:
Q: What have you been pursuing or participating in since receiving the scholarship?
I finished all of my general education classes at JMU, and have since then been working as a teacher's assistant at my old school, Merritt Academy, in Fairfax, Virginia.
Q: What is your career aspiration/situation? What inspired you to choose this area of study?
My career aspiration is in Graphic Design. It’s what I'm motivated to do and what I already do for fun.
Q: What made you a good candidate for the scholarship? Did the scholarship match your interests or career aspirations?
I was in an ideal place in my life to help the Library Foundation and was well-qualified coming out of high school. The scholarship absolutely matched my interests, and was financially helpful.
Q: Why was receiving scholarship assistance important to you?
Receiving scholarship assistance was important to me because I knew I wasn't going to be able to get four college years in a row done right away, but I still wanted to do as many as possible before I ran out of money, and the scholarship helped me get through those years.
Q: How has the scholarship shaped your career path? What role has it played in your life?
I wish my major had been “Undecided” going into college; I felt somewhat shoehorned, if I'm being honest, with the career choice I had selected at the time (Music Education). I'm glad I was able to have the opportunity to see right away that my passions lay elsewhere and make changes to accommodate for that situation.
Q: How have you contributed to the Fairfax Library Foundation or to your community?
Even after I received the scholarship, I continued to volunteer and assist at the Chantilly Regional Library for a while.
Q: What role has the library played in your life? In turn, what role have you played in enhancing the library?
I often return to the Chantilly Regional Library when I get the chance, even if it's quite far, because it has a great atmosphere. While I was assisting at the library, I mainly kept the Mystery, Sci-Fi, and Adult Fiction sections in order which, at the time, were definitely in need of it. Volunteering there was quite therapeutic work and I'm glad I did it because it felt like I was making an intangible impact for the better and order of the whole facility.