During my first semester in graduate school in 2015, I enrolled in Dr. Monica Perales’ public history introductory readings course, and immediately became infatuated with the field. I began to understand the myriad ways in which professional historians engage and interact with the public, and following this course, I decided to switch my master’s degree to a public history track.

Through several internships with the Bryan Museum in Galveston, Texas, and the Special Collections Department of the UH Library, I continued to foster my passion for the field of public history, more specifically, museum collections.

Unfortunately, job opportunities in the field were scarce after graduating so I was forced to find a position in a company in the business sector. However, by volunteering with Holocaust Museum Houston during this period, I continued developing my skills as a public historian by performing various duties and functions throughout the museum. After roughly a year of volunteering, I secured a position as a Retail Associate with the Museum of Fine Arts Houston followed shortly by a transition into the role of Visitor and Volunteer Services Coordinator with HMH. As public historians we discuss at length how historians and the public responsibly navigate painful histories, thus working on the floor of HMH proved to be the perfect area where I could apply that theoretical knowledge.

Serving now as the Assistant Registrar with HMH, I am able to fulfill both my passion for public history and collection stewardship within this amazing institution. While my postgraduate career path was not the one I expected, I am grateful for all the experiences I accumulated along the way. The field of public history fortunately allows its graduates to develop unique skillsets and then apply them to a vast array of careers across many disciplines. Therefore, through institutions like the UH Center for Public History, passionate historians will continue to contribute to the field through their meaningful work.