Featured Student: Rachel Scray

Rachel Scray is double major in History & Digital and Public Humanities with a minor in Arts Management with an emphasis of Museums and Galleries.

When do you plan on graduating? I plan to graduate in the spring of 2020 (woot-woot)

Why did you major in History & Digital and Public Humanities with a minor in Arts Management? I chose to study history because I think a field is an art form in and of itself. I enjoy history because it is constantly challenging me to look deeper into historical situations as well as current ones in comparison. I appreciate learning about a multitude of different subjects in history, but I find cultural and ancient art history to be the most rewarding.

I chose to major in Digital and Public Humanities because I am very interested in learning different perspectives and approaches on how to make the arts and humanities accessible and interactive to the public. I also think this major, and the knowledge that comes with it is important to have in the field I want to pursue. As the world becomes more and more technologically advanced and infused, museums follow and adapt in that direction as well.

I chose to minor in Arts Management because I have, for the longest time, wanted to work within arts and cultural organizations and I knew that this minor would give me the information to do so. Minoring in Arts Management has opened up my perspectives in the ways in which the arts can connect and live within a community. The minor has also made me feel confident in my abilities to achieve the goals I have set for myself and has given me the knowledge to succeed within the organizations I wish to work with.

What are your plans for after graduation? My plan after graduation is to work in cultural organizations that provide the community with a variety of perspectives in the humanities and the arts as well as space where creativity and contemplation flourish. After gaining a few years of work experience I intend to pursue a graduate degree in Museum Studies or Art History. Ideally, I’d like to be a curator of history, art, and culture by working in a museum. Personally, I will continue to learn about the interconnected roles of the humanities and the arts in history and society. Using the knowledge I have gained through my undergraduate programs, and with the career I plan to have, I can put what I have learned back into the community in order to benefit the world in which we live.

What academic experience or accomplishment are you most proud of? I have had the opportunity to work on some of, what I consider, the most engaging projects in my majors and minors. It is honestly difficult to pick which experience I am most proud of, so I will mention two:

The first experience I would like to mention is when I interned for the Hazelwood Historic Home Museum in my sophomore year. It was a two-semester internship where I research, planned, curated the “Fashioning Our Identity: 200 years of style” exhibit that celebrated the developments of style and the 200 years of Brown County. Along with this event, I also helped and participated in the “Fashioning our Identity: Afternoon Tea & Fashion Show.” This was such a fun and exciting hands-on learning experience that I will never forget. I still get all bubbly and excited when I look at pictures from the exhibit and fashion show.

The second experience I would like to mention is my current internship for the Digital and Public Humanities Program in which I have created my own podcast, Humanities+. I am the host, writer, and researcher for this podcast. We only have two episodes out so far but I am really excited to continue to work on this project until I graduate. This project has enabled me to find my voice, point of view, and develop my perspectives on a variety of different topics. If I achieve anything in this project, I hope that it is providing those things for listeners in the community as well.

What single thing do you hope to accomplish at UWGB before graduating? Before I graduate, I would like to be a part of a travel abroad semester and/or course. I have thought about doing this since I started here but haven’t had the chance yet. Or in other words, I haven’t opened up that chance for myself. So, I better get planning!

What do you do for fun? In my free time, I enjoy cuddling/surrounding myself with my cats, Bruce and Alfred. For fun, I like to restore and paint furniture. I have been picking up “lost-causes” all semester and I am very excited for summer to have the time to get crafty. One of my favorite activities is to travel and to visit different art and history museums with friends and family. I also enjoy spending my time in the mystical world of Skyrim playing as my Kajiit (cat) character and living a virtual life of awesomeness.

What else do you want people to know about you? If you want to make study plans with me on Thursday nights, I can’t, I’ll be watching RuPaul’s Drag Race. If you want to make study plans with me on Sunday nights, I can’t, I’ll be watching Game of Thrones.

 

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