Staff Spotlight: Aaron Michael

Aaron Michael is a survivor, both figuratively and literally. From a student employee to a full-time staff member who now mentors his student employees, Aaron's passion for helping others has always shined through since joining UTA Libraries. As of March, he has served as a library specialist in community engagement. 

Aaron's journey to the university fulfilled a longtime dream of earning a bachelor's degree. While working at Walmart as an assistant manager, he reached a crossroads about his future direction. 

"I was definitely a nontraditional student. I got my associate degree in business in 2002 and have always wanted to get my bachelor's in history. But I was always putting it off because I didn't want to deal with the debt," Aaron said. "I decided that if I were to keep putting it off, I wouldn't get it done. So, I decided to come back to school." 

Aaron will graduate in May with two bachelor's degrees, one in history and the other in critical languages and international studies. Graduation does not mark the end of Aaron's educational journey; this summer, he starts his master's program in history with the goal of becoming an archivist. 

Aaron shared that he likes the role that archivists play in preserving history. They can discover so much about historical moments through the preservation and research they conduct and then share those findings with the public. He noted that working here at UTA Libraries will aid him in achieving that goal. 

One of the reasons that Aaron is so focused on his goals is that he knows the preciousness of life. Aaron is a cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin's lymphoma at the end of 2010, which has given him a unique outlook on and appreciation of life. 

"It was a rough time for the family. I wanted to survive to see (milestones happen) like my daughter graduating from school," Aaron said. "I've now been 11 years cancer-free as of this year." 

Aaron shared that he appreciates the support he has received over the years from family, friends and co-workers on his educational journey. He looks forward to the next chapter as he begins his graduate studies and as a staff member here at UTA Libraries.