Alumni

Catherine Riggs                                                  

BA, 2005

I finished my Southern Studies degree in May 2005, and it was with some trepidation that I returned to my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. Here I was with a degree in hand that seemed quite illusory to my business-minded parents. What are you going to do with that? was the constant query. Well, as it turns out plenty. I am working full time for the Missouri Historical Society as a political papers archivist. Concurrently, I am finishing the master’s program in Museum Studies at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and will graduate in May 2008. Southern Studies was instrumental in preparing me for a career in cultural institutions. Museums are no longer simply repositories for dusty artifacts but dynamic institutions that seek to serve a wide range of communities and perspectives. Southern Studies’ multidisciplinary approach was the perfect beginning to a career honoring all voices in history. It was through the Southern Studies Program that I learned the importance of approaching history and legacies from all angles. I am very grateful to this unique program.