Category: General News

The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Mary, a CCAS sophomore studying archaeology and biological anthropology.
It can be difficult to try to find your place in the big city. Unlike many of my peers at GW I do not wish to work in politics in the future. In a city where everything seems to revolve around politics, one can sometimes forget the vast number of museums and research institutions located here as well. The Smithsonian Institution is one of the largest museums and research institutions in the world. With several individual museums within it. I decided to volunteer at the Natural History Museum in the most recent spring semester. As an archaeology and biological anthropology major, I see myself destined for a museum or a job in academia. But at the museum I am just a volunteer, I do not get paid nor do I receive credit for an internship. But, instead, I do something for myself.
It has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. I help people from all over the world find their way around the museum. Several times I have be able to use the Spanish I learned in high school (which I never thought I would do). I meet interesting people, who have interesting stories to tell. Most of my fellow volunteers are retired middle and high school science teachers and it’s very cool to hear about their relationship with the museum. I had never considered how much of an impact a single place can have on a person until I started volunteering here.
Volunteering at the Natural History Museum reminds me of where I live. While we all live in DC for at least the four years of undergrad, it can be easy to forget that most people only come to DC one time in their entire lives. This is a destination for many US citizens and foreign visitors alike. It is my job to help them make that experience as memorable as possible. As related to me during training, the volunteers of the Smithsonian are the people that visitors have the most interaction with. We are the face of the Smithsonian that most of the 7 million people remember. And as one of the most visited museums in the world, it is important that we are professional and welcoming.
I would encourage everyone to find their place in DC and at GW. My place where I can escape all the stress related to school is at the information desk next to Henry the elephant at the Natural History Museum.

The following blog post was written by peer advisor Anna, a CCAS junior studying psychology and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. 

Wanting to be a “social scientist” can often feel like shouting into the void. People will tell you to take certain classes, publish, make posters, do research, etc. but there are endless possibilities as to where you can “end up.” We tend to get a bit lost in the vastness of CCAS, and I’ll admit, I’m still pretty uncertain about what I want to do. Still, I’ve found the most rewarding experiences to be connecting with others who are on similar paths both in and outside class
This past summer, I worked at the REACH lab (Resilience Emerging Amidst Childhood Hardships) at the University of Memphis. Among the mix of Masters and PhD students, the lab was continually working on 5 different studies, and two conferences happened in the three months I was there. Besides getting more experience with SPSS and Qualtrics (groan) and conducting interviews with participants, the very best part of this lab experience was being surrounded by people who have similar interest and goals. Though I had a “home field advantage” of sorts, I still went in not knowing anyone and feeling unexperienced as an undergrad. The graduate students were constantly working on papers, poster presentations, conducting interviews, and consolidating data. Despite all the chaos, I worked to get to know each of them individually and gained real-world insight on what Psych research can look like. Most importantly, they were able to answer all of my endless questions about applying to grad school, working towards a degree, and beyond – which, by the way, I realized takes around 6 years (if you don’t take a break between undergrad and grad school). Ha ha.
Looking back, the lab was everything I needed it to be. I gained skills, worked with awesome women who all have different career goals (ranging from owning their own practice to starting a non-profit grief center), and can finally answer YES when I’m asked if I have previous research experience. I also have more realistic, grounded expectations for post-grad.
For future social scientists especially, pursue research when it comes up (and ask for research experience if it doesn’t appear conveniently). Find people on similar paths in your classes and outside GW; get to know them, ask questions. Demystifying graduate school and embracing the endless career paths/options/goals of social science will help make your undergrad experience an exciting stepping stone rather than a shout into the void.