Reaching Lifelong Goals

My winter term at Oregon State University is almost over, and I realized that my last posting was during Christmas Break…  Again, I vow to do better at keeping everyone up to date about my Nontraditional Student Journey.   A couple of weeks ago, the OSU History Students Association, of which I am a proud member, hosted a career fair on campus.   This event was specifically designed for History Majors.   The club sought members of the professional community to come to a forum and tell their stories of how a History Major can be successful in the “real world”.    We also promoted the graduate programs of various institutions in our area.   My History of 20th Century Europe professor,  Dr. Kara Ritzheimer, is the faculty advisor to our organization, so she offered her class extra credit points for attending the conference.  My paper turned into a soul-searching, goal oriented assessment of my Nontraditional Student, History Major journey.   Now that I have turned in this assignment, I can post it here on Reaching Lifelong Goals.com.   I hope that folks will find my ruminations entertaining at best, possibly even inspirational to fellow Non Trads.  This term at Oregon State has been a turning point.   My Archival Sciences class (HST 499)  has opened up new avenues to me as a History Major.   Maybe I now know what I want to be when I grow up!

The 2011 History Student Association Career Fair was a resounding success.   The broad range of History Major related topics on hand was interesting and informative.   This year’s career fair was especially useful to me as I will begin my final year in my 35-year-old quest for a college degree fall term 2011.   I have done quite a bit of refining of my goals as a History Major over the past few months.   My interest in Public History and Archival Sciences has given me some direction in my goals and aspirations.   Although it has taken 50+ years for me to decide what I want to be when I grow up, my path has become clear this term.  My enrollment in HST 499, Archival Studies has really been an eye-opening experience.   I have become to appreciate the “rush of History” in actually handling important primary source documents and artifacts.   I savor the hair standing up on the back of my neck and that lump in my throat as I put on the white cotton gloves before beginning to paw through an archival collection.   This field of history is definitely one I want to pursue.  My first interview was really a reconnection and chat with Scott Daniels, Research Librarian of the Oregon Historical Society.   I met Scott last term while doing research for Professor Mutschler’s HST 310 course.   We discussed the passing of the bond measure in Portland for the Historical Society.   They will now be expanding their hours in the Research Library to 32 hours per week.  The funding for the OHS will begin later this summer.   The OHS bond measure was passed this past election. A good omen for a history majors, I trust?   I also discussed my new Thesis topic for my Senior Project with Scott.   The OHS has a couple of Archival collections that will aid my research.   A student membership in the OHS will be a real deal as I will be spending some major time there and a $25.00 fee will save over the long haul.  One thing that I have learned from both HST 310 and HST 499 is benefits of cultivating a relationship with your Research Librarian! My goals as a History Major have been leaning towards the area of Public History.   I feel that this specialty will become more marketable in the current “Historian” job market.   Dr. Ben Mutschler was at the career fair representing the History Department’s Public History Program.  Although this program has not been approved for a Graduate Degree presently, I do have my hopes that I might be one of its first Master’s candidates.   Ben and I discussed the problems of getting approvals and setting up curriculums for a new graduate program.   He also suggested that I might “testify” or present my opinions of a Public History Degree to the über powers during the next academic year.   I also plan to put together a presentation on the need of another Graduate Program other than our history of science department.   I may not be successful, possibly tilting at windmills, but it may have some positive impact.  I do feel strongly that this will be the direction in my graduate studies, so I’m game for the challenge.  My wife has researched the Masters of History programs at both Western Oregon and Portland State.   Although my loyalties lie with Oregon State, I am of the opinion that too many compromises would be involved to develop a science based thesis in my historical specialties.  The PSU program is specifically a degree in Public History and may be a better fit for my passions.   Their program involves practical experience in Museum Technologies and Archival Studies.   I also would be able to work on a master’s thesis more in-line with my interests.   My love of “everything WWI” can be cultivated with a continuation of my senior project about the US Army Spruce Production Division in the Northwest (a public history topic) during WWI.

I also want to further my skills in Archival Studies.   Actually touching history has overshadowed my original thoughts of becoming a Teacher.  I discussed this goal with Larry Landis of the OSU Archives.   The path that he took was with a Master’s in History, and has made archival sciences his career.   With a degree in Public History and an official certification in archival sciences, I would have a better chance of a position in a Museum or Historical Society Archive.   Tia Edmunson-Morton of the OSU Archives gave me some valuable advice about programs through USC and Emporia State University.   I would be able to get a certification through them in an online/distance program concurrently with my graduate studies.   This was a real boost to my goal setting process.   My wife will be pleased.  Granted, these conversations should have occurred 35 years ago, before life got in my way.   I have often wondered recently where I would be now if I had made these goals as a High School student.   I fantasize about being a researcher for the Smithsonian or the curator of the Evergreen Museum.   A person’s dreams should be an important component of their goals, so I allow myself these little indulgences.    The History Student Association Career Fair was both an eye opener and a personal goal setting lesson for me this year.   I enjoyed being a part of the planning and implementation in my small way for the H.S.A.   I do believe in “reaching lifelong goals” as a personal motto over these past couple of years in college, and I am thankful for the boost in enthusiasm from the Career Fair.