When I applied to Brown, I believed that I would graduate with a degree in mathematics. After arriving, and taking advanced math classes, I quickly discovered that my interests lay elsewhere. Four years later, my field of study and my interests have changed significantly. My time as an American Studies concentrator has allowed me to explore and discover those interests.

             The first class I took in the American Studies Department was Susan Smulyan’s Course AMST1610A: American Advertising History and Consequences, in the fall of my sophomore year. For our final project we were asked to create a mock museum exhibit on the history of advertising. I was hooked. I had always loved visiting museums, but it hadn’t occurred to me before taking that class that I might work in museums, or similar cultural institutions. Since that first class, the American Studies Department has allowed me to pursue and explore my interest in cultural organizations. I have learned about anthropology and art museums, community arts organizations, and historic houses.  I have learned about interpretive and engagement strategies. I have learned how to write more clearly and concisely. I have gained practical experiences working on exhibits and curricula for final projects in several courses. These courses have come together to form my focus: Publicly Engaged Scholarship: Museums and Community Engagement. 

            My American Studies classes have trained me to analyze using a variety of lenses and disciplines. I was first interested in the department because of the public humanities connection, but I have since come to appreciate the multiple disciplines that it has allowed me to bring together.  I have gained invaluable research experience that has allowed me to engage with a variety of methods. I have looked at old documents at the Providence City Archives, and I have interviewed students in an advanced yoga class. I have read ethnographies, histories, and novels. This year I wrote my thesis on American Girl doll fan culture, a process which involved bringing together various material, and scholarly work from several fields including marketing, children’s literature, anthropology, gender studies, and fan and media studies.  I do not believe that I could have written this thesis in any other department. I am so grateful that I was able to write it in American Studies, which allowed me to follow my interests and analyze various media in each chapter.  My classes in this department have taught me to be resourceful, and creative, and to view things from a variety of angles.  

            I’m not sure yet, what I will after graduating, but I am confident that the skills I have gained in American Studies will help me in whatever I pursue.