Q & A with Media Secretary Sarah Herndon

Q.1-Why are you a librarian?

Answer: Three years ago, the high school librarian and the library secretary left the high school at the same time. Mrs. Hendrickson (her sister btw) took the librarian position and encouraged me to apply for library secretary. I still haven’t regretted it! Being a librarian has always been one of my dream jobs, because I love to read, so this feels close enough.

Q.2-What did you want to be as a kid?

Answer: As a kid I thought I’d be a school teacher. In high school I wanted to be an anthropologist (study of origin, behavior and development of humans.), a phycologist or a librarian.

Q.3-What’s your biggest fear in life?

Answer: I think my biggest fear in life is losing someone close to me (or my own life) unexpectedly and not being able to say goodbye. And spiders. 😉

Q.4-Do you feel fulfilled in life?

Answer: I do!

Q.5-Why?

Answer: I studied German in college and then worked for Lufthansa Airlines in Germany for 25 years. It wasn’t my dream job, but it enabled me to immerse myself in a different culture and see a lot of Europe. During that time I also became a mom, which was my favorite thing ever. I’m happy with my current job (working with my sister is a huge perk!) and glad to be back in Cedar Falls, close to my family.

Q.6-Are you going to live in Cedar Falls forever?

Answer:I think so!

Q.7-If you could have any job would you actually pick yours?

Answer: Yes, but if I was 15 years younger, I would go back to college and get the qualifications to be an actual librarian. When I was choosing my major in college, the library science curriculum sounded very dry, so I chose a different major.

Q.8-What’s something you want to experience before you die?

Answer: I’d love to be a grandparent, but even if that doesn’t happen, I’d also like to experience a turnaround in the climate in our country, where people seek more of a middle ground and actually talk to each other, across the aisles. More discussion and debate, more open-mindedness.

Q.9-Are you religious, spiritual or nothing?

Answer: Spiritual

Q.10-What makes you happy?

Answer: When I can manage to be in the moment. Especially on walks outside with our dog or reading a book outside somewhere, enjoying nature.