Education
University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
Master of Arts in History, May 2016
Specialization in Nineteenth-Century Studies
Thesis: “Father and Servant; Son and Slave:
Judaism and Labor in Georgia, 1733-1809”
Hollins University, Roanoke, VA
summa cum laude
Bachelor of Arts in History, May 2012
Honors Thesis: “The Slave and the Sabbath”
Bachelor of Arts in English, May 2012
Emphasis in Creative Writing
Honors Thesis: “Take it to the River, Child”
Research and Professional Experience
KLM Wyoming Historian
Sole Proprietor
2019-Current
Conduct research in archives; seek out private family archival holdings by descendants of prominent Wyoming citizens; build and maintain databases using Excel spreadsheets; participate in public outreach; create public presentations from archival research using PowerPoint software; ensure appropriate citation and observation of state laws; create Wyoming history-based greeting cards and other products; sell products wholesale to giftshops or retail at public events; file state sales tax quarterly; schedule public presentations; negotiate speaking fees.
National Historic Trails Interpretive Center
Park Ranger
March 2021-August 2022
Give formal and informal interpretation on the historic trails, formal interpretation includes successful presentations on trail preservation, an unpublished diary from the California Trail, and historic maps; Assist with Trail Treks and presented at historic trail sites such as Independence Rock; Greet and give an orientation of trail history and building symbolism to visitors; Track visitation; Assist VisitCasper with disseminating tourist information and directions; Educat the public about opportunities to enjoy our public lands, explore trail history, and trail preservation through organizations like the Oregon-California Trails Association; Lead school tour groups ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade; Lead tours to visitors and tourist ambassadors from around the world; Operate bookstore sales and processed inventory; Assist 9th grade students with their history projects based on the trails; Put together informational mailings for people looking to travel the trails and utilize our public lands; Write press releases for events; Book speakers; Conduct research for visitors;
Notable Accomplishments:
Organized the first annual Trails History Harvest where we digitized items held in private collections including letters written from the 1840s-1860s on the historic trails, as well as, recorded oral history about the Pony Express Re-Ride.
Photographed an 1859 diary from the California Trail held in a private family collection, networked with Trail historians to get a transcription and permissions from the family to publish.
Invited to speak at the 2022 OCTA Annual Conference on trail preservation based on my successful presentation, Personalities of Preservation, which increased OCTA membership and caused the bookstore to sell out of Ezra Meeker’s book, Ox-Team Days.
National Historic Trails Interpretive Center – Casper, WY
Emergency Hire: Park Ranger
March-May 2019
Hired on as a 60-day emergency hire at the request of the facility director, Chris Wilkinson, due to my previous work at the NHTIC.
Researched President Zachary Taylor and French astronomy for a temporary exhibit, “Events of 1849”; Wrote text panels concerning President Taylor’s slaveholding; Greeted and gave an orientation of trail history and building symbolism to visitors; Tracked visitation; Assisted VisitCasper with disseminating tourist information and directions; Educated the public about opportunities to enjoy our public lands, explore trail history, and trail preservation through organizations like the Oregon-California Trails Association; Gathered trail history from the public, including the copy of a diary and letters from a man traveling the California Trail; Led school tour groups ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade; Led tours to visitors and tourist ambassadors from around the world; Operated bookstore sales and processed inventory; Assisted 9th-grade students with their history projects based on the trails; Put together informational mailings for people looking to travel the trails and utilize our public lands; Assisted with training of Student Docents; Assisted with monitoring contractors such as Overhead Door Company of Casper and Entoo Digital; Assisted with duties of permanent employees as needed.
Visualizing History: Clyde Malone Community Center – Lincoln, NE
Project Lead Historian
Spring 2015
As a team we created and presented a project proposal to the board of directors at the Clyde Malone Community Center. Eric Saxon and I conducted interviews with members of the community to gather oral history and help shape the project. I worked primarily on creating the Board Meeting Minutes exhibit and content for the timeline. We presented the final product to the Board of Directors at the Malone Community Center, as well as to the Center for Digital Humanities and partnered departments at the University-Nebraska-Lincoln.
http://malonecenterhistory.com
O Say Can You See: Early Washington, DC Law and Family Project – Lincoln, NE
Research Assistant to Dr. William G. Thomas, III
Fall 2013 & Fall 2014 – Spring 2015
Transcribed and encoded Francis Scott Key’s correspondence and nearly 150 court cases; Organized files; Conducted further research as needed.
http://earlywashingtondc.org
National Historic Trails Interpretive Center – Casper, WY
Clerk, Research Assistant, and Docent
Summer 2011 – Summer 2013
Collected entrance fees; Conducted visitor orientation; Operated bookstore sales; Processed inventory; Opened and closed facility; Completed building sweeps.
Researched at the Heritage Center in Laramie, Wyoming; Provided historical research for public programs and special events; Gathered trail history from the public; Transformed research into public programming for Holiday on the Homestead; Assisted with the creation and installation of temporary exhibits; Gave public presentations; Aided living history reenactors; Led 3rd and 4th-grade student groups on tours; Assisted with the Student Docent program training 4th-graders to lead their classmates through the center; Put together educational packets for home-school students; Assisted with History Club by taking students on adventures to learn the local trail history.
National Historic Trails Interpretive Center – Casper, WY
Intern
December 2010 – January 2011
Produced four panels for a temporary exhibit, “Buffalo Soldiers: Forgotten Troops of the Western Frontier”; Assisted with research on the Battle of Platte Bridge at the American Heritage Center in Laramie, Wyoming; Assisted with daily operations.
Teaching Experience
Substitute Teacher – Natrona County School District, Casper, WY
2017 – 2019
Classroom management and student discipline; Implement lesson plans; Lead classroom discussions; Give lectures; Help students one-on-one; Write daily reports to teachers; Meet with counselors to discuss concerns about students’ well-being and academics.
Notable Lectures:
Gender in the U.S. 19th Century
Invited to share my expertise with two A.P. U.S. History classes after they watched a short video on women in the 19th century.
Judaism before the Holocaust
Given to the Holocaust class offered to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Followed by a casual conversation about Jewish holidays and customs.
Holocaust and “Humor”
Given to three sophomore language arts classes reading Night by Eli Wiesel and a selection on the White Rose Society after a series of antisemitic acts of vandalism occurred at the school.
Logs: How-to Solve with Some Historic Background
Given to two classes of freshmen on the historical background of logarithmic equations and how to solve.
Tutor – Tutor Doctor
Fall 2018 – Current
Create lesson plans by researching the standards for each student; Meet with students using Bramble, an online classroom; Utilize prompts and go over expectations; Read and critique students’ writing; Write a summary of each session and schedule new sessions using an online system, Big Apple. I tutor students in test prep for the ACT, SAT, GRE, STAAR, and A.P. History and Psychology Exams; I also tutor students in basic study skills, organization, English and history.
Long-Term Substitute Teacher – Devon Strube in The Natrona County School District
January 2018 – March 2018
Learned psychology in order to lesson plan for two regular psychology classes and two A.P. psychology classes;
General classroom management including the creation of PowerPoint presentations, lectures, homework, quizzes, tests, and grading; Created content on four Google Classrooms; Moderated the online classroom discussion boards; Arranged speakers; Held conferences with parents.
Holocaust Teaching Assistant – Dr. Gerald Steinacher at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Spring 2014 & Spring 2015
Led discussion sections; Held office hours and answered student emails; Handled student accommodations; Created content on Blackboard; Grading; Coordinated arrival of guest lecturers and Holocaust survivors.
Lecture: Death Marches and Liberation
Gan Simcha Sunday School Teacher – Lincoln Jewish Community, Lincoln, NE
Fall 2014 – Spring 2015
Taught students aged 3-5 appropriate lessons in Hebrew and Jewish traditions/holidays.
Student Success Leader – Hollins University, Roanoke, VA
Fall 2011
Course: Queens and Queenship
Helped with classroom management and discussion sections; Held office hours and met with students to discuss
academic work and help with writing; Hosted social events; Checked in with students throughout the academic year.
Presentations
Currently Available:
“Tea Party Controversy: Investigating the Origins of Wyoming’s Woman Suffrage“
“Fifty-One Years of Freedom: Wyoming’s Suffrage Story from 1869-1920“
“The Wyoming State Flag and the Women Who Made It Fly“
“Dry Timber: Anti-Judaism and Antisemitism“
Past Presentations and Commissions:
“Early 20th Century Trail Preservation: Ezra Meeker, H.G. Nickerson, and Grace Raymond Hebard”
Commissioned presentation created for the Oregon-California Trails Association 40th Annual Conference held in Casper, WY. This presentation highlighted the way Ezra Meeker’s national vision was accomplished in Wyoming to mark and celebrate the historic trails.
“Crossroads: Changes in Converse County”
Commissioned presentation created for Converse County Library and customized to the towns of Glenrock and Douglas, WY. This presentation complimented a traveling Smithsonian Exhibit called, Crossroads: Changes in Rural America and covered the history of the area from early trail travel to the oil booms in the 20th century.
“Personalities of Preservation”
Tailored to the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, this successful presentation ran during summer 2021. A call to action, which encouraged modern participation in trail preservation by covering the national trail preservation efforts by Ezra Meeker, and local Wyoming efforts by Herman Gould Nickerson, and Grace Raymond Hebard. This presentation caused the NHTIC bookstore to sell out of Ezra Meekers, Ox Team Days, visitors to join the Oregon-California Trials Association and travel to trail sites.
“The Journey of a Journal: Alfred James Adams Journal from 1859-2021”
Alfred James Adams crossed the North Platte River using a toll bridge on July 2nd 1859, carrying in his pack a small, leather bound journal where he recorded his daily travels. Nearly 162 years later, two sisters walked into the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center following the entries from their Great Great Grandfather’s journal. Join Park Ranger Kylie L. McCormick as she shares the journey of Adams and his unpublished journal.
“Rosenthal Map Collection”
Commissioned by the Red Peak Gallery, First State Bank during Artwalk 2021 to speak on a collection of historic maps representing some of the finest examples of 19th-century cartography. This presentation put these maps into context from government surveys to commercial cartographers and printers.
“A Quick Overview of the Holocaust”
Guest lecturer for Marc Flemming’s freshman history classes 2018
“Dry Timber: Anti-Judaism and Antisemitism before 1933”
Guest lecturer for Marc Flemming’s freshman history classes 2018, 2019
“Examining Levi Sheftall, a Jewish Slaveholder”
Kiddush Lunch and Learn guest speaker at Congregation Tifereth Israel in Lincoln, NE. Presented evidence and narrative from the second half of Father and Servant; Son and Slave 2015
“Never Again: Heeding the Warning Signs”
Lecture given for Holocaust Memorial Month to the Casper District BLM Office, attendees received 45 minutes of diversity credit 2013
“Wyoming Women’s Equality: From Suffrage to Lynching”
Patio Talk, National Historic Trails Interpretive Center 2013
“The Slave and the Sabbath”
Chapter presented and placed third in the Hollins First Annual Student Symposium 2012
“Red Cloud and the Bloody Bozeman”
Patio Talk, National Historic Trails Interpretive Center 2011
Publications
The Wyoming State Flag and the Women Who Made it Fly, WyoHistory.org, Wyoming State Historical Society, August 2021
“Father and Servant; Son and Slave: Judaism and Labor in Georgia, 1733-1809”
Digital Commons, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2016
“Book Review, Emigrants on the Overland Trail: The Wagon Trains of 1848”
The Annals of Wyoming, Summer/Autumn 2012
Committee Experience
10th Annual Rawley Conference in the Humanities – Lincoln, NE
Rawley Conference Chair
Spring 2015
Organized conference; Picked a date and theme; Wrote and put out a call for papers; Scheduled building use and catering; Scheduled a keynote speaker and arranged their travel and accommodations; Coordinated with other planning chairs; Helped choose panelists and coordinate volunteer moderators; Gave introductory and concluding speeches.
STAND Anti-Genocide Coalition – Roanoke, VA
Student Senator
Fall 2008 – May 2012
Coordinated events, speakers, and volunteers for Holocaust Memorial Day; Assisted with documentaries and fundraising concerts; Attended Student Government Association sessions at Hollins University as the STAND representative.
Certifications
Clear Choice SAT Instructor Certification, October 2018
Alan Leftridge’s Interpretive Writing Workshop, January 2013
Memberships
Wyoming League of Women Voters – President Casper Chapter
Fort Caspar Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution
Natrona County Historical Society
Oregon-California Trails Association
American Historical Association
Wyoming Artist Guild
Honor Societies, Scholarships, & Awards
Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Alpha Theta
Sigma Tau Delta
Omicron Delta Kappa
Alpha Psi Omega
Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, May 2012
Lelia Cocke Bagbey Scholarship, Fall 2010
Christian S. Mass Scholarship, Fall 2010
David Longfellow History Award, April 2009
Hollins Citation for Academic Excellence, March 2008
Kelly Walsh Outstanding Academic Achievement, April 2008
Wyoming All-State Dramatic Duet, 2008
Wyoming All-State Original One Act Play Script, 2008
Wyoming State Championship We the People, 2007
