MLA'17 New Members and First-Time Attendees Program and Breakfast

Hello everyone! I am both a first-time attendee and first-time guest blogger. Since this is my first time attending the MLA annual meeting, I decided to start my day bright and early by attending the MLA'17 New Members and First-Time Attendees Program and Breakfast. I have to say that it was a great way to start the meeting for me (although I was disappointed that it meant I would miss out on yoga). Breakfast was provided (I always enjoy free food!) and we heard from both the MLA President and MLA President-Elect. As a fairly new MLA member it was nice to hear how welcomed new members are. It was great to hear also about different opportunities to get involved, whether it be with a chapter, section, or special interest group or volunteering to be on a committee. I had the opportunity to talk with other new members/first-time attendees during the "3-Minute Mixer" portion of the program and I especially enjoyed M.J. Tooey's talk "Making MLA Your Professional Home". As someone just starting out, this session really inspired me to look for ways to get involved and make use of all that MLA offers to help me grow professionally. I am really looking forward to seeing what the rest of the meeting brings!