School of Information Doctoral Candidate Vashalice Kaaba has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship for the 2024-2025 academic year. 

“I am thrilled to share that I have been awarded a Fulbright Assistantship which will take me to Kenya in January 2025. My mission there involves teaching English and spearheading a community project focused on enhancing library access,” Kaaba said. 

Kaaba had previously worked in East Africa while serving in Peace Corps Uganda from 2015-2017, where she similarly taught English to students and wrote a capital building grant that helped in establishing the school’s library. She views this Fulbright opportunity as a continuation of her work there, but with an even deeper focus on librarianship and education. 

“I always gravitated toward how libraries and children’s literature could help in improving education outcomes, specifically for low-income and BIPOC students,” Kaaba said. As someone who came from a rural area with limited access to a local library herself, Kaaba has made it her life’s mission to make library resources more accessible and efficient to better meet the needs of their communities. 

Her work in this area was highlighted this February when she presented at the American Library Association’s Library Learning Experience Conference in Baltimore. Her presentation focused on the concept of the “library box,” or a box containing the materials needed to start a library, which could be given to communities in need of either a library or additional library resources. 

“It is fundamental to ensure that information and resources are equitable and universally accessible. Libraries serve as vital community hubs that provide not just books, but also access to technology, learning programs, and critical services that support lifelong learning and community engagement,” said Kaaba. 

To add to Kaaba’s successes this past spring semester, she has also received a NISO Plus scholarship award. The College congratulates Vashalice on all her incredible achievements!