Image: At a university where double majoring is the norm, Grace Wilson stands out. An honors student pursuing Art History and History degrees with minor programs in Classical Culture and Chemistry along with a Certificate in Museum Studies, she takes advantage of every opportunity available to build layer upon layer of learning and connected experiences to enhance her skills and career potential. Wilson noted that “studying history is a core part of my program at UGA. My course of study focuses on many different subjects, but my History major provides the foundation for all my other subjects.” Attracted to the history department because of its accomplished faculty and wide range of class offerings, Wilson appreciates that the department’s size allows for her to study a variety of subject areas and offers students opportunities for growth and development. When I first got accepted [at UGA], I was aware of all the various opportunities offered such as study abroad or the chance to double major, but I was not aware of how much the department works to support students in these endeavors through opportunities like department scholarships, active advisors, and faculty that help create connections find opportunities within their aspirational industries. I was unaware of the Museum Studies certificate and how it would serve as a fantastic area to cultivate my career goals and find peers with the same interests as me. Grace described how a simple ‘London’ t-shirt, a gift from her mother in 2012 for the Olympic Games, became the catalyst for a lifelong admiration of the United Kingdom. “Weekend museum trips were the norm growing up, and this sort of upbringing has led me to the career journey that I am currently on—to become a conservator of art, in order to ensure that future generations can experience the same joy I felt, and still feel, looking at the masterpieces of the past.” Taking full advantage of UGA Study Away programs, in her first year as a student she enrolled in the UGA in Rome Classics Study Away program to study Roman history and art. Now a senior, Grace has managed to garner both awards and funding to fulfill her cultural and travel ambitions as a recipient of the Honors International Scholars Fund and the History Department Adam Cramond Martin Travel Award. She is using the awards to support her participation in a year-long exchange program with Aberystwyth University to study British and Welsh history in Aberystwyth, Wales.
