Overall, I am a multi-faceted individual who seeks more opportunities and to be a lifetime learner. My academic interests extend from
genealogy
archival documents
public history
Growing up, I had always found a defined interested in humans, observing those around me and who they are.
As I age, the beauty of the diversity of people, but also the similarities in our very existence became increasingly profound to me, leaving me curious on further learning more about them.
My pursuit for anthropology was inspired by my professor of cultural anthropology at Ball State, Robert Phillips, this is where I realized that my curiosity of human experiences had a whole field dedicated to itself.
Outside of my academic pursuit, I engage and teach children and adults at the Children's Museum. Topics and strategies include
paleontology
archaeology
facilitating powerful interactions
integrating family learning behaviors
I love being the fountain of knowledge while also continuously learning and expanding my realm of possibilities.
On my own accord, I spend my time volunteering at Crown Hill Cemetery cleaning headstones, spending time outdoors, or creating art.
I hope to implement my research skills, organization skills, and ability to convey information to pursue the career path of working with archives to facilitate learning of public histories through archival research methods.
Staff head shot of mine from the Children's Museum!
Volunteering at Crown Hill, cleaning headstones!
Through the completion of my senior capstone project, Do Not Omit the Obit, I developed a wide range of transferable skills that directly align with the core career readiness competencies
Critical Thinking – Analyzed obituary content across decades using both qualitative and quantitative methods to uncover cultural trends.
Communication – Presented complex research clearly through writing and discussion.
Technology – Used Excel for data analysis and explored the cultural impact of digital memorialization tools, all in while utilizing archival databases to access historical obituaries.
Career & Self-Development – Gained insight into personal research strengths and clarified professional interests in cultural work.
Leadership – Independently designed, managed, and completed a long-term research project from start to finish.
Teamwork – Collaborated with faculty and peers for feedback and research support.
My experiences across museums, research projects, and volunteer roles have all helped shape my interest in archival and library work through an anthropological lens.
Working at the Children’s Museum and Minnetrista Museum and Gardens gave me hands-on experience with public engagement and education—skills that are really important for making information accessible in both archives and libraries.
My research projects, especially my capstone and ethnography work, allowed me to dive deep into
and cultural contextualization
which are all core tools in anthropology that are also valuable when working with collections and historical records.
Volunteering at Crown Hill Cemetery and with the From the Pages archives gave me a solid introduction to preservation and transcription, which confirmed how much I enjoy working with historical materials.
Altogether, these experiences have helped me build a strong foundation for future work in archives or libraries, where I can combine my love for cultural history with practical skills in organizing, preserving, and sharing information.