Our NEH Rural Engagement Scholars served on the "Making the Leap Project: The Future of small historical societies and museums." These students worked with eight pilot communities across the state of Kansas to provide valuable consultant services in professional planning. The following students trained and met communities they worked with over the Summer of 2019.
Jacob Allen is a Graduate Student at Kansas State University where he is pursuing a master’s degree in Military History. He graduated with honors from K-State in 2018. His interest in history dates to his childhood, growing up in historic Fort Scott, Kansas. Jacob credits his own military experience for driving his interest in the daily lives of past soldiers. This focus has also spawned an interest in historical reenacting and public living history, with artifact displays to help share what he has learned with the public. He now regularly takes part in the National World War I Museum and Memorial’s Living History Volunteer Corps, as well as events at other museums and historic sites. He hopes to use his degree to pursue a career in public education.
Jessie is a student of K-State's five-year master's program in Landscape Architecture with a minor in Biology. Growing up on a small ranch in the Saline River Valley near Plainville, Kansas, a heart for rural Kansas and its history was fed by stories of how her family came to call the area home, explorations of long-abandoned homesteads, visits to Fort Hays, and the opportunity to admire century-old carvings made by the 7th cavalry. She looks forward to the opportunity to help rural historical societies and museums keeping history alive and gain experience to use in making a positive difference in her own community.
Bradley is a PhD student in history at Kansas State University. Before starting his mater's in history at K-State, Brad served as a volunteer at the New York State Museum in Albany, New York. Since 2016, Brad has worked with the Chapman Center, helping create a museum exhibit for the Flint Hills Discovery Center and serving as the lead researcher and content creator for a digital research project and memorial of WWII veterans in Riley County displayed in Manhattan's City Hall. In addition, he assisted in writing, researching, and editing a book on ranching in the Flint Hills which is currently in the publishing process.
Hailey is a graduate of University of Louisiana at Lafayette where she studied printmaking and fine art. Hailey's work is influenced by her upbringing in the tight knit communities of rural Louisiana. In 2017, Hailey was awarded the ArtSpark grant where she collaborated with the Children's Museum of Acadiana to create in interactive exhibit. Her work has been featured in the publication The Hand, Issue 19 and exhibited in multiple locations in South Louisiana and other spots in the U.S. Hailey is currently attending Kansas State University, where she is pursuing her MFA in printmaking. She is currently serving as co-chair on the Public Relations Committee of the Graduate Student Council, as well as secretary of the Graduate Students of Visual Arts. Hailey also serves as a graduate research associate on “Transforming Printmaking Through Chemical Innovation” a National Endowment of the Arts Artworks Grant. Most recently, Hailey was awarded the Higher Education Partners Program Scholarship to attend the Penland School of Crafts during the Summer 2019 workshop session.
