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From the Lowcountry…to Europe…to the Land of the Midnight Sun…and back to the ‘Lower 48’

Posted by: Melissa Page | June 24, 2013 | No Comment |
Jaime outside of Chiddingstone Castle in Kent, UK.

Jaime outside of Chiddingstone Castle in Kent, UK.

Jaime Robinson Fawcett (ANTH ’02) has put together quite the resume (and frequent flier mileage balance!) since graduating from the College in 2002.  Read more about her unique career path and advice below.

What have you been doing since you graduated?
I earned my MA Museum Studies at University College London, Institute of Archaeology in 2004.  Since then, I have worked in collections/ heritage management and historic preservation for some wonderful cultural institutions all over the world,  including Chiddingstone Castle (Kent, England), the Roemer-und Pelizaeus- Museum (Hildeseim, Germany),  the York County Culture and Heritage Commission (Rock Hill, SC),  the Museum of the Aleutians/ Smithsonian Arctic Studies Project (Unalaska, AK), and the Leukemia  and Lymphoma Society (Anchorage, AK).    Needless to say, I have a great time!  

What is your current position?
My husband and I have just returned to the “Lower 48” from Alaska, and we are on Vermont’s Troubleshooting Team for the National Association for Educational Progress (a contractor for the US Department of Education).  Our job is data collection through standardized testing, and this data is used to create the Nation’s Report Card.   I am also a museum consultant for Historic Rock Hill, South Carolina, and I am in  discussion about a museum directorship in Virginia that would start this summer.  It’s a busy work schedule, but I love it!

What advice would you offer to new students at the College of Charleston who are thinking of declaring a major in Anthropology? 
The best advice I received  as a potential Anthropology student came from C of C: connect with people with similar interests.  Make appointments with professors and graduate students, talk to fellow classmates, read books that interest you, and try to get hands-on experience!   

What advice would you offer to students graduating from the College of Charleston with a degree in Anthropology?
I find Anthropology skills are adaptable to just about every professional career, though graduate school is likely necessary for a career in any of the Anthroplogy subfields.  Consider a graduate program that values the practical coursework as well as the theoretical.  Unless strict acadaemia is your definite future,  training in basic non-profit management  is more likely to inspire future employers.  

What was your most memorable learning experience in Anthropology?
My most memorable learning experiences come from working in historic house museums.  Each house has so many layers of cultural interest– including  architectural features, historic people, places, events, and/or collections– that the preservation plan is always challenging and unique.  Practical applications are so far beyond any textbook,  it’s a great acheivement when the museum team gets it right.

How has your experience in Anthropology at the College of Charleston helped you in your career? 
I have done so well by the College of Charleston, and most particularly by the Anthropology professors that advised  me in career choices.  I was fortunate in several areas, but the two most important experiences were the opportunities to study abroad (which I did twice– once in Ghana, once in England), and an internship with the Charleston Museum.  Both of these jump-started  professional networking early in my career.

What unexpected benefits have you derived from a degree in Anthropology? 
A variety of job experiences.  My degree in Anthropology opened doors in  history, historic preservation, archaeology, education, and museum management fields.  Anthropology’s holistic nature lends itself as an incredibly flexible field.

What class did you most enjoy while earning your degree at the College of Charleston? 
Hard to choose!  It would either be the Anthroplogy of Time, or Peoples and Cultures of Europe.  Though, I will say that the Biological Anthropology and Research Statistics courses have proven quite useful in my working life.

What class was the most applicable to your everyday life now that you’ve graduated? 
Hands down, Brad Huber’s Research Statistics.  I use analysis tools everyday, particularly in understanding cultural demographics and collections environment stats.   

Jaime working on the Robert Mills House in Columbia, SC, using moulding hand planes.

Jaime working on the Robert Mills House in Columbia, SC, using moulding hand planes.

What made you choose the College of Charleston over other schools? 
Affordability, and the opportunities to study abroad.

How has a degree from the College of Charleston improved your ability to network? 
The College of Charleston taught me HOW to network.  Through this degree I learned that so much of one’s professional career is about sharing experiences with others in the field, and using these experiences to shape and advance one’s  personal and professional interests.

How has an Anthropology degree made you a more well-rounded person?  
I liken the study of Anthropology to a precious gem; there are many individual facets, but they cannot stand alone.  Being well-rounded is a crucial part of being productive in the Anthropological field.   

Additional advice from Jaime
I’ve found the following useful in my career:

  • Study a language if at all possible, including (my favorite)  American Sign Language.  It will open up so many doors, and place one’s resume at the top of a pile in a very competitive world.
  • Keep an up-to-date resume– I’ve kept a detailed master resume since high school; this serves as a detailed reminder of  the work I’ve done (and I ALWAYS forget, even though I think I won’t).  Professional opprtunities are often circumstantial, and the successful are often the most prepared.  
  • Learn to take constructive criticism well; you will be a better professional and maybe even learn something.  That said, DON’T let others’ opinions of you be more important than your  self-opinion.  If a situation is bad leave it as gracefully as possible, no matter how fancy the title.  Self -worth is simply too precious.

 

 

 

under: Alumni Spotlight

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