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Dear LINGUIST List Subscribers,

I'll never forget what my introduction to LINGUIST List was like. 
At the time, I was taking The Linguistics Analysis of Literature 
course with Dr. Helen Aristar-Dry, and I thought was only coming 
into speak to her about my final paper for the class. But to my 
surprise, after our discussion, Dr. Aristar-Dry began to show me 
around the office and tell the other crew members about my work. 

Being an incredibly shy student, this was quite overwhelming. 
Though everyone was very friendly and welcoming, I left thinking 
that I wasn't quite ready yet. Dr. Aristar-Dry knew better though 
and kept in touch with me, and eventually I began to work at 
LINGUIST List, starting as a Calls Editor.

My first couple of days at LINGUIST did not relieve me of my anxiety. 
Before working at LINGUIST List, I had never even created a folder 
on a computer. So being trained as both a Calls Editor and a member 
of the LL-Map team almost simultaneously, I really felt the pressure 
of a 'real job' so to speak. One day I was feeling particularly 
unsure of myself and told my co-worker, Fatemeh, that I didn't 
know if I could handle it. She looked at me, smiled and said, "We've 
all been there, and you'll get it soon." And I did. 

Currently, I am a team leader for the ICE team, a subproject of LL-Map 
that deals specifically with the Arctic regions. Not only do I digitize 
scholarly maps, but I also train new members and hold biweekly 
meetings with team members to review their progress any issues they 
are having. In addition to working on the ICE Project, I am also 
Team Leader for Quality Control, which is website maintenance and 
usability for the live site. For Quality Control, I assign tasks to 
editors and move projects to the next stage in testing. 

These positions have taught me very important lessons: 1) balancing 
independent work and collaborative effort is tough, but necessary 
for a successful work flow; 2) organization is a must; and 3) being 
able to adjust is essential for multi-tasking and working with others.

While working at LINGUIST List, I've become a stronger worker, a 
stronger student and mostly importantly, a stronger person. I smile 
affectionately thinking of the shy girl who first began and is now 
taking on challenges that she never would have imagined. But reader, 
I cannot forget you. Without your support, I wouldn't be the person 
I am today. 

It is through donations that I am to continue working at such a 
wonderful place. Please consider donating at:

https://linguistlist.org/donation/donate/donate1.cfm

Sincerely,

Amy Brunett

This Year the LINGUIST List hopes to raise $67,000. This money will go to help 
keep the List running by supporting all of our Student Editors for the coming year.

See below for donation instructions, and don't forget to check out Fund 
Drive 2011 site!

http://linguistlist.org/fund-drive/2011/

There are many ways to donate to LINGUIST!

You can donate right now using our secure credit card form at  
https://linguistlist.org/donation/donate/donate1.cfm

Alternatively you can also pledge right now and pay later. To do so, go to: 
https://linguistlist.org/donation/pledge/pledge1.cfm

For all information on donating and pledging, including information on how to 
donate by check, money order, or wire transfer, please visit: 
http://linguistlist.org/donation/

The LINGUIST List is under the umbrella of Eastern Michigan University and as 
such can receive donations through the EMU Foundation, which is a registered 
501(c) Non Profit organization. Our Federal Tax number is 38-6005986. These 
donations can be offset against your federal and sometimes your state tax return 
(U.S. tax payers only). For more information visit the IRS Web-Site, or contact 
your financial advisor.

Many companies also offer a gift matching program, such that they will match 
any gift you make to a non-profit organization. Normally this entails your 
contacting your human resources department and sending us a form that the 
EMU Foundation fills in and returns to your employer. This is generally a simple 
administrative procedure that doubles the value of your gift to LINGUIST, without 
costing you an extra penny. Please take a moment to check if your company 
operates such a program.

Thank you very much for your support of LINGUIST!