I arrived at Le Moyne in 2008 as a transfer student, having previously earned an A.S. in photography from Onondaga Community College. While earning my A.S., I learned both the technical craft of photography and its role in history. It was this lesson, along with learning how to digitally restore antique photographs, that began to blend my love of photography, history, and preservation. I certainly surprised some of my peers when I made the decision to transition to a major in history, but we all have many varied interests, and sometimes those interests can meld together and send you on a path to an unexpected career.
While earning my B.A. at Le Moyne, I continued studying the history of photography, but I also began to focus on another topic in which I was greatly interested: the Cherokee Trail of Tears. The importance of understanding historiography, contextualization, conducting original primary- source research, and writing effectively were strongly emphasized in every class. The student-centered professors in the history department helped me hone these skills, which prepared me for both my graduate coursework and my professional career.
My senior year came too quickly, and I had to decide what career I wanted to pursue after I graduated. At the time, I had the incorrect notion that a degree in history only meant a career in teaching. Knowing full well that teaching was not the right fit for me, I asked my professors, “What other types of jobs can you get with a history degree?” It was then that my professors opened my eyes and introduced me to the field of public history and its variety of careers in archives, museums, and historic preservation.
After graduating, I followed in the footsteps of one of my Le Moyne history professors, Dr. Holly Rine, and chose to earn an M.A. in history with an emphasis in public history and historic preservation at Middle Tennessee State University. Like my former professor, I was also awarded a coveted Graduate Research Assistantship with the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP) at the university. In both my coursework and my work at the CHP, I consistently drew upon the skills in research and writing that I had learned at Le Moyne. As a graduate research assistant, I worked on educator materials, National Register nominations, heritage development plans, tourism brochures, and museum exhibits. Many of the topics that I studied at Le Moyne, including Farm Security Administration photography and the Trail of Tears, became the focus of a number of my projects at the CHP.
I now work full-time as the Trail of Tears Project Coordinator/Historian at the CHP and oversee a number of partnership projects with the National Park Service’s National Trails Intermountain Region that are aimed at the preservation and interpretation of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Those projects have ranged from a nine-state survey to document all historic buildings associated with the Trail, to a Tennessee Trail of Tears brochure, to kiosk and wayside exhibits for David Crockett State Park in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. Whether I am in the office or out in the field, the imprint of my Le Moyne professors remains evident in my work. Had it not been for their support and guidance both inside and outside of the classroom, I can certainly say that I would not be where I am today.
I’ll end with this: If you love history but feel that teaching is not for you, then continue doing what you love and remember that there are many other careers for historians that are sure to fit your interests.
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