Published: Feb. 6, 2023

The 2022-23 Laughing Goat Scholarships will be awarded to five undergraduate students who are currently or formerly employed by the University Libraries as student workers. The scholarship recipients, McKenzie Egan, Lisa Peete, Saskia Angelov, Mak Morton and Riley Crisler, were selected from a competitive pool of 46 applicants. 

“We are pleased to recognize and celebrate these five students,” said Freddy Carey, history and philosophy librarian and member of the selection committee. “We selected these students based on their contributions in their positions, scholarship need, impact their positions had on their personal and academic journeys and how this scholarship will set them up for continued success.”

The Laughing Goat Endowed Scholarship was established in 2020 by the University Libraries and the Laughing Goat Coffeehouse to celebrate and acknowledge the unique contributions Libraries’ student employees have made to fulfill and advance its mission and values.

“The University Libraries employ over 150 students each semester and many of them stay with us from their first year through graduation. We consider them to be ‘our students’ and we aim to support them not just as employees, but also in their academic journeys,’’ said Robert H. McDonald, Dean of the University Libraries and Senior Vice Provost for Online Education. “We are grateful to the Laughing Goat for establishing this scholarship and being such a strong partner in supporting our students."

Consider supporting the future of this scholarship by making a contribution to the Laughing Goat Endowed Scholarship Fund.

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Learn more about the five scholarship recipients:

McKenzie Egan

McKenzie Egan is from Greenwood Village, Colorado and is a senior double majoring in neuroscience and psychology. She is graduating this May and plans on becoming a nurse in a field related to neuroscience.

Working as a shift leader security guard in Norlin Library now for over 2 years, she is responsible for opening and closing the library, helping patrons and maintaining safety in the space.

“To me, the most wonderful part of working at the library is the people,” Egan said. “I love helping patrons and other CU Boulder students. [This position] has not only allowed me to help others but to help myself by developing communication skills and the confidence I didn't know I had during the pandemic. I’ve met some incredible students who I am now proud to call my friends.”

Lisa Peete

Lisa Peete is from Wisconsin and received her undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, Moorhead before moving to Colorado. She is a second-year graduate student obtaining an MA in speech-language pathology. 

Peete worked in security at Norlin library for two semesters before moving on to begin an internship this spring. 

“What I enjoyed most about working in security was providing students and their families with navigational support, safety within the spaces and the assurance that our team will be the first line of communication [in the library],” Peete explained. “I enjoyed conversing with visitors and being entrusted with the flexibility to complete student obligations while fulfilling my duties as a security employee."

Riley Crisler

Riley Crisler is a sophomore majoring in political science with minors in history and women and gender studies. 

She has been working in the Dean’s Office in Norlin Library since September 2021 on digitizing personnel records and as a receptionist at the front desk.

“What I enjoy most about CU Boulder is the community and friends I’ve made,” Crisler said. “My time working in the library has been immensely helpful as it’s given me experience working in an office environment. I also enjoy the faculty and staff I work with as they are always welcoming and helpful.”

Saskia Angelov

Saskia Angelov is from Denver, Colorado and she is a junior at CU Boulder double majoring in speech, language and hearing sciences and psychology. 

“I love CU Boulder because you can meet so many new people, and there are multiple opportunities to get involved through the hundreds of organizations and extracurriculars offered. CU also has a beautiful campus, and sometimes I take for granted just how lucky we are to have the Flatirons as our backyard,” Angelov said. “Academically, CU thrives at providing resources for its students, and I have loved both of my degree programs so far!”

Angelov has been working at Norlin Library for nearly a year and a half, starting in her sophomore year. She provides customer service to university affiliates and community members and helps them access materials, troubleshoot account problems and check out materials.

“Working for the Libraries during my time here has been an amazing opportunity to balance work and school while meeting incredible people,” Angelov explained. “I have also loved being a part of the Norlin community and knowing that all the staff and faculty care about their student employees. Everyone is a helpful resource and has created such a positive work environment.”

Mak Morton

Mak Morton is from Fort Collins, Colorado and is a senior majoring in art history. She transferred to CU Boulder after completing an associates degree at Front Range Community College and deciding to go back to school to pursue a career in art conservation and restoration.

Morton originally started working for the University Libraries in the Norlin Library collections and courier department last year. She soon discovered the preservation department and is now being trained on all things book preservation—from repairing torn pages, to ultrasonic welding of protective mylar sleeves, to book binding, to even carefully applying moisture to relax and flatten delicate pages of books and maps—by conservator Hillary Morgan.

“It has been an incredible opportunity to work up close with all kinds of preservation processes in our efforts to restore the books in and out of circulation,” Morton said. “Not only is this great experience for my future career, but I am able to help bring back books into circulation that were otherwise damaged and inaccessible, and to help extend their presence in the library.” 

Morton particularly enjoys working hands-on with historic maps or newspapers, some from the 1700 or 1800s. “I am currently working on a large series of ice and glacier tracking maps,” Morton explained. “They were in an extremely poor state when I first got them and it is gratifying to transform them back into a legible and accessible state.”