My mentor and first APALA friend, Jessica Koshi-Lum, once shared words I’ve carried ever since: “We lift as we climb.” Originally spoken by civil rights activist and suffragist Mary Church Terrell, this ethic lives on in the work of APALA. Within mentorship specifically, we have a duty to sponsor and support those who seek our guidance and collaboration. But more than a duty, it is a genuine joy.
This mentorship cycle, that joy came in the form of Mary Rose Navarro. Mary is so unassuming and humble that you’d be hard pressed to catch her speaking about herself. But make no mistake: she is a sharp intellect, a tireless advocate for her students, and a champion for digital literacy and the future of librarianship. I am so glad I got to know her and to learn from her.
The APALA mentorship program creates something rare: meaningful intellectual, educational, and cultural exchange between colleagues across institutions, time zones, and in our case, continents. Those international connections (hello, Philippines and Southeast Asia!) are something I treasure deeply.
This past winter, I had the full-circle opportunity to teach academic librarianship at my alma mater, the University of Washington iSchool. And I had the opportunity to lift Mary as I climbed. I immediately knew Mary had to guest lecture in my class. She juggled competing deadlines, setting aside hours she didn’t have, to show up for me and my students. She delivered a meticulously researched, genuinely captivating session on digital literacy. My students benefited enormously from her expertise; she gained experience presenting within a master’s-level program. It was a win/win/win for all involved!
Perhaps the most enduring part of this journey has been the depth of professional exchange. Mary and I have shared CVs, expanded each other’s networks and perspectives, and traded insights about projects, workplaces, and goals. Mary introduced me to a fascinating model her undergraduates follow: not only writing research papers, but delivering an oral defense of them, much like doctoral candidates do. We will continue to collaborate, including on an information literacy conference Mary is planning to coordinate soon.
And speaking of doctoral candidates, Mary completed her Ph.D. defense this June. She is now Dr. Navarro, and she is more than ready to lift others as she climbs.
Di Zhang is a librarian, speaker, and instructional designer. He currently serves as the Instruction & Open Educational Resources Librarian at Renton Technical College. He previously worked at The Seattle Public Library, where he developed The Fake News Survival Guide, a media literacy class that he is currently remaking into a Media Lit Toolkit. Di holds an MLIS and a bachelor’s in philosophy from the University of Washington. When not in a library, Di is in a jiu jitsu class attempting not to get choked out, dancing on a ballroom floor with his wife, or playing with his two kids.