Welcome back to another installment of 5 Questions! If you would like to choose 5 Questions yourself, feel free to choose 5 from this form.

Emma Gauthier, WFU Fellow for ZSR Library

Tell us about what you do at ZSR Library?

I’m part of the Wake Forest Fellows Program, where they pair graduating students with one of the offices on campus to work and learn for a year—and I was lucky enough to be paired with the library! I’ll be working with many offices on various projects, such as outreach events, social media, and logistics.

What is your favorite project you have worked on in your career?

I haven’t had a career (unless making minimum wage as a lifeguard counts), but during undergrad, I was heavily involved in the World Tea Association! I became involved in the exec just as it was becoming a chartered organization during my sophomore year, and it completely changed my experience as a student at Wake. I was a freshman during the peak of Covid restrictions, so it was hard to meet new people and get involved in campus life.

Tea Club ended up being exactly what I was looking for, and was how I made my closest friends. I remember feeling very isolated my freshman year, so when I worked on events planning and logistics for the club I did my best to come up with ways to make our programming as accessible as possible with low barriers to entry. Our email list grew to about 500 members by the time I graduated, and we were able to increase our programming from two to three events a week to daily programming. Knowing that I may have helped other students find a sense of belonging was my favorite part of working with the WTA—and of being an undergraduate at Wake.

What is your favorite library story? (or memorable experience?)?

I participated in the Sam Gladding Writing Experience last semester and had a great time! It was so much fun to sit with my friends and have a dedicated time and space for creative writing—which is something I’m otherwise bad about making time for. I also enjoyed being able to see what everyone else was working on, as well as the many different genres and styles that were represented.

What is your favorite book/podcast/movie?

I hate ranking my favorite books of all time (as well as any form of media) because it is just too difficult, but one of my recent favorites has been A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine! I’ve been reading a lot of science fiction lately, which this book definitely falls under the umbrella of, but it has a lot of other elements too. It’s really lovely on the level of prose, and features elements of a murder mystery and a queer romance, while also having some fascinating historical references to the Byzantine and Aztec Empires—which was fun to read as someone who loves sci-fi and history!

Is there something you want to tell us about yourself?

I didn’t know I liked cats before becoming a student at Wake! During my sophomore year, I’d spend a lot of time with the Poteat cats, to the point where if they saw me walking around campus I would end up with a group of four to five cats trailing behind me. Eventually, I was able to trap one of the cats and I also found homes for her and her three kittens.