After walking battlefields, studying overseas, & squeezing friends into a Yaris, she’s headed to grad school in Ireland

Amelia and Courtney hold candles at dusk outside, smiling selfie
I met my best friend at orientation: Courtney Calkins and I hold candles by the campus fountain at the Community & Belonging Candlelight Ceremony.

From: Waterloo High School, Waterloo, NY

What’s next for you?
I am going to grad school at the University College Dublin in Ireland for Public History.

Most memorable experiences during college?
I got to work with the United States’ National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to turn over papers from World War II that a family in Waterloo, New York, found in a crawl space of their home! These mold-covered forms contained writing from American prisoners of war accusing Germany of war crimes and had markings indicating they could be classified. 

I contacted NARA, met with them on Zoom with my professor Dr. (Timothy) Kneeland, and then met a NARA recovery team in Waterloo. They said, “You’re really an undergrad?” It was meaningful to personally work with National Archives professionals, turn over the documents, and add to our national understanding of World War II, as a project for my museums, archives, and public history senior seminar class. 

Also:
  • I presented at CARS (Nazareth’s creative activity research showcase) and at the PAT (Phi Alpha Theta) conference — opportunities to present my history research projects and meet other students in my field.
  • The friends I have made here are lifelong friends and there are not enough words to describe how much I love and appreciate all of them. 
  • My classes at Naz fostered an environment of learning, research interest, and discussions about important past and current issues.
  • My Center for Public History and Nazareth University Herbarium internships taught me about personal drive, ambition, perseverance, and most importantly self-confidence.

Amelia presenting a presentation at CARS
At CARS, sharing my project preserving botanical history in the Nazareth University Herbarium.
What are you most looking forward to in your life’s work?
I am looking forward to spending a year in Ireland, working in museums, and seeing my friends’ amazing accomplishments as they go to grad school or right into careers in museums or archives or higher education. Naz has prepared me through my various internships and my study abroad. 

I realized I wanted to study in Ireland after my two-week United Kingdom museum and history-focused experience two summers ago, led by Dr. Kneeland and my career coach (Alison Albright). It was the best two weeks of my life, visiting a dozen museums, meeting professionals in the field, meeting a Naz alum who was finishing a museum studies grad degree in Scotland, and connecting with fellow students. Before that, I was pretty shy. 
Amile and friend taking a selfie with BIg ben in the distance
Courtney Calkins and I near Big Ben in London.
How have your Naz experiences shaped who you are today?
My experience at Naz has shaped who I am through the friendships and community that I have found on campus. I squeezed four other students in my small Yaris — thereafter nicknamed Clown Car — to ride to  a class field trip at the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester. This was the moment that I realized I met some of my best friends. My best experiences come from the many field trips including the Civil War trip, various conferences, and my internships in the Center for Public History and preserving botanical history in the Nazareth University Herbarium.  
The clown car shows the interior of a hatchback vehicle filled with Amelia's friends smiling and laughing
The clown car!
What lesson will you take with you from your Nazareth years? 
Naz has taught me the importance of communities and of engaging education to connect people to history. Many of my museums, archives, and public history courses included field trips to museums and archives, including going to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library & Museums to do our own archival research. Dr. (Danielle) Alesi (history professor) incorporates a lot of tabletop role-playing games to put ourselves in historic shoes, to better understand what life would have been like. Dr. Alesi’s activities have allowed for deeper understanding and impact on history. Dr. Kneeland has led the Civil War trip — so I went from hearing about the battle of Antietam to walking the battlefield. The monuments there are extremely impactful.
Students pose infront of a civil war era statue
The faculty-led Civil War trip, spring 2025.
Who’s had a great impact on you? 
The whole history department at Naz has fostered an environment of learning and inclusion. The students and professors have truly changed my life. That’s not an exaggeration. I would not be where I am without their support. Dr. Alesi and Dr. Kneeland both have pushed me to be the best student and person that I can be.

And my friends — especially all my MAP and history major friends — have taught me more than they will ever know about the internet, life, and most importantly to have true friends who love and support one another. They are truly some of the kindest, most thoughtful, and passionate people I have met. They are the hardest goodbye I will have to make.

By far the most important person who has impacted my time here has been my best friend, who I met on my first day at Naz in our orientation group. Courtney and I have shared countless memories, laughs, and stories. She has been there with every milestone, and I am truly lucky that Naz brought us together.