Melissa Kopecky and Sarah Lester Honored by SO-M Adult School

The South Orange-Maplewood Adult School presented The Gus & Thelma Sickles Lifelong Learners Award to Melissa Kopecky, Director of the South Orange Library and Sarah Lester, Director of the Maplewood Memorial Library at its Annual Meeting on May 21st in recognition of their dedication to lifelong learning.

Melissa Kopecky has been the Director of the South Orange Public Library for the last 14 years. Melissa went to Rutgers to become an artist, but a job in a library changed all that and she went on to get two Masters degrees, one in Library Science and the other in Public Administration, also from Rutgers.

Sarah Lester has been the Director of the Maplewood Memorial Library since 2012. With an undergrad degree in English from Vasser and a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State, she has found her home here spreading her love of learning to the community.

The Gus & Thelma Sickles Lifelong Learners Award, presented each year at the Adult School’s Annual meeting, recognizes the recipient’s dedication to lifelong learning. Gus and Thelma Sickles were early supporters of the Adult School and the concept of lifelong learning. Thelma Sickles was a trustee for more than forty years and was active in many community groups. Gus Sickles was active in civic organizations and was an avid Adult School student.