English/Theater & Drama 1990
Year of Memory: 1970s-1980s
As a small child, the museum was a place of wonder; the dinosaur bones towered above me, and the exhibit cases seemed to go on forever, full of answers to questions I had not begun to ask. The live snake on the stairwell and, of course, the Native American dioramas, were favorites.
I am proud to be part of multiple generations of Michigan alumni, and the museum has also become a family experience. After my time, my younger brother became a student docent, and now my daughter – a current UM student – is also a student docent.
Serving as a student docent was clearly the best employment I had while on campus. Stepping out of the hustle of main campus and into the calm of the museum, even for a few hours or a single tour, was a welcome opportunity to escape to a magical world and to share this special place with children.
Giving tours taught me how to get groups of children interested in learning about something new and improved my story-telling skills – which I use every day.
