Macon State College MVPs is a web feature that profiles notable students, alumni, faculty and staff.
Full Name: Deborah Aisling Ireland. “I get a lot of questions about my name. In Gaelic when an ‘S' is preceded or followed by an 'I' or an 'E,' the combination produces the 'SH' (Sinead O'Connor or Sean Connery), so my name is pronounced ‘Ash-ling.’ Now I'll never have to tell the story of the Gaelic language ever again.”
Age: “I labor under the delusion that I am 26 - 28 years of age. (Since I've admitted I'm delusional, I'll also confess that it's possible I may be a few years older.)”
Hometown: Savannah.
Residence: Macon.
High School: “High school? YIKES. No comment.”
Family: “My mom, Patricia Addleton, does unconditional love like nobody’s business. She was the first person who told me that there would never be anything I could do that would make her un-love me. When one knows that the most important part of life cannot be won or lost, life is far more fun.”
Current Employment: “Currently, I am the editor for the ‘Dreams and Human Rights’ sites at the online women’s magazine BellaOnline.com. In the fall, I will be the new editor of the Macon State student newspaper, recently renamed, ‘The Macon Statement.’"
Degree Objective: Bachelor of arts in English.
Class Rank: Senior.
Activities: “I am the outgoing co-president of the ESO (English Studies Organization), am taking over the position of secretary of the ESO, received the ESO leadership award at the 2009 Honors Convocation, am the new editor of ‘The Macon Statement,’ do Hospice work, am a member of Amnesty International, a supporter of the ONE campaign, and am actively involved in rescuing random animals off the street, as the pit bull terrier I tracked down from the campus and rescued after she was hit by a car will attest.”
Career Goals: “My current plan is to go on to grad school to get an MLIS (Library Science). This career is perfect for me as I have an insatiable need to acquire knowledge combined with a passion for public service. I like the idea of helping libraries transition to electronic media, the freedom to conduct research all the time, and the opportunity to teach others the skills they need to access information. My goal is to follow in the footsteps of the late Maconite Nancy Noyes Van de Water and become a medical librarian, hopefully assisted facilities in the acquisition of materials and information that could possibly save lives.”
She chose Macon State College because … “Macon State is positively unrivalled in this area when one is seeking the highest-quality, affordable education combined with unbelievable individual attention from outstanding professors.”
The one thing that surprised her about Macon State was … “That individual attention I was writing about. Despite the fact that professors at Macon State are working long hours and have busy lives that must be stressful and hectic at times, every time I see a professor she or he makes me feel as if I always have her/his undivided attention. Macon State professors are generous with their time, expertise, and concern. To date, my time at Macon State has been one of the most positive experiences in my life.”
Her favorite professor is … “Precisely each professor in the English department. There is absolutely no way to pick a single one because the combination of what I've learned from each has made my education complete. They fit together like pieces in a puzzle and without one, the puzzle is wholly incomplete. Those professors are, in alphabetical order: Dr. Amy Berke, Dr. Patrick Brennan, Dr. Lynne Bryan, Dr. Nancy Bunker, Dr. Kevin Cantwell, Dr. Sharon Colley, Dr. Thomas Harrison, Dr. Robert Kelly, Dr. Gerald Lucas, Dr. Derrilyn Morrison, Dr. Benita Muth, Dr. Chip Rogers, Ms. Sydney Chalfa, Dr. Mary Wearn, and Dr. Monica Young-Zook. I also am grateful to Dr. Debra Matthews for her guidance, Dr. Karmen Lenz for being co-advisor of the ESO, and Dr. Martiza Belle-Corrales for making Spanish painless and fun to learn.”
Her favorite place to study is … “In my house on the couch with the TV on as background noise. It’s a strange choice for a future librarian, but I really need that background noise on to keep out other distractions. Focusing on not focusing on something helps me focus.”
One thing people don’t know about her is … “How much I love the band U2.”
Her friends make fun of her because … “I claim that no one knows how much I love the band U2.”
The one person she’d most like to meet is … “Bono, because I actually really do love the band U2.”
Five years from now she sees herself … “Still believing I am 26-28, finishing and publishing my first book, which I envision as a set of (hopeful) comedic essays entitled ‘73 Reasons to Quarantine Your Fish.’ I also still see myself doing my best to do what little I can to help humanity, which I think is often as easy as a opening a door for a stranger, telling someone they look nice, or just saying hello to people I see so they don’t feel invisible.”