When I was three, at the end of the school year, my preschool teacher wrote a letter to my parents about me. It remains a characteristically accurate depiction of my personality, strengths, and aptitudes. She started off by writing, “She [me] has good language skills and loves to talk and that gets everything going.” Not many things have been consistent in my life, but my enthusiasm, zest, and razzle dazzle have been (for worse or for better) relentless.
As I progressed in my undergraduate degrees in Art History and Anthropology, I was convinced I would become the Next Great Museum Registrar. What I came to find out quite quickly, was that work in museum collections often involves large periods of isolated work time at a desk or, even worse, in a dark, damp basement. It was at that time that I began to realize I, a person previously characterized as the preschool class hoot, would not meet my destiny in a basement surrounded by boxes. I wanted more people, more passion, more light.
It was this desire for connection that drove me to find the Bolz Center for Arts Administration. From my first meeting with Rebecca Buckman, I was hooked. I recognized the character of the program—and the people in it—as one that would support me throughout my education and sustain me long into the rest of my life. I knew I loved art, and I knew I wanted to engage with people. In my mind, what is business but building relationships and achieving goals. As my preschool teacher also said, “I know she always has a plan and she is very good at carrying it out.” The signs were there all along, it seems.
I’ve had the chance to apply my love of art and people through my Applied Learning Placement. This year, I am working at the Chazen Museum of Art as a Museum Evaluation Specialist. I get to talk to museum visitors and event attendees and gain first-hand information about their experiences in the museum. After working at the Chazen for several years as an undergraduate Curatorial Assistant, I was delighted to return to the museum in another capacity. I truly believe my role will help shape the museum’s programming to make it even more accessible and engaging.
My preschool teacher really did hit the nail on the head. The common threads I found through all my experiences are my strengths in communication and operations. I love writing, interacting with the public, managing projects, and planning strategically. I hope this will lead me into a career in communications or development and fundraising, where I can use my long-developed persuasive communication skills and vision to lead a mission-driven organization towards their goals.
I especially agree with my preschool teacher when she ended the letter by saying, “I hope Anna always keeps her happy, upbeat personality and her gift of having fun with others.” I really, really hope so too, and I know my time at the Bolz Center will help me in that department.
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