Reagan Whittington
Law Student, Pennsylvania State University
Hometown: Brookhaven, MS
BA in History; minors in English and Museum Studies (2021)
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Why did you select the minor in Museum Studies?
I chose to pursue a minor in Museum Studies the day the program was announced in 2020. I had been at home for about a month due to the pandemic and my junior year was quickly coming to a very frustrating, remote end. When I received the email about the brand new Museum Studies program, I was immediately interested and emailed my advisor right away. I had always loved museums so I decided it would be worth it to try to join the program, even though I still needed to complete my major in History, my minor in English, and my honors thesis. Despite the fact that I would only have a year to complete the minor, I decided to pursue it anyway. With the endless encouragement of Professor Kariann Fuqua and my advisor, Dr. Noell Wilson, I was excited to fill my final year at the University of Mississippi with Museum Studies courses.
What were some significant accomplishments at UM?
I graduated summa cum laude from the University of Mississippi in 2021 and I was a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Phi Beta Kappa, the University of Mississippi Marching Band and Wind Ensemble, and Alpha Phi fraternity.
One of my favorite things about the Museum Studies program was having the opportunity to take some really niche classes and form strong relationships with the professors (who are all amazing) who taught them. Through Museum Studies, I was able to explore my professional and academic interests that had been sort of pushed aside since I had gone to college. Taking Museum Studies classes also helped me realize the kind of path I wanted to follow once I went to law school. Without the Museum Studies program, I might never have gotten engaged with the practice of art and cultural heritage law.
The Museum Studies program was also wonderfully flexible and relatively easy to complete. I was already heading into my senior year of college when the program began, but thanks to the dedication and flexibility of Kariann Fuqua, Anne Twitty, and Noell Willson, I was able to satisfy all the requirements to earn the minor in just one year. I owe so much to the Museum Studies program and to the incredible professors who facilitate it.
Describe your educational/career path.
I am currently a second-year student at Dickinson Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In the summer of 2022, I had the honor of working as a summer clerk for the Honorable Judge Victor P. Stabile of the Pennsylvania Superior Court. I am very interested in pursuing a career in cultural heritage and preservation; in that pursuit, I am currently trying to establish Dickinson Law’s first Art and Cultural Heritage Law Society. After practicing law, I hope to someday earn a doctorate in history.
Why minor in Museum Studies?
Museum studies is, of course, for students who are interested in pursuing a career in a field directly or indirectly related to museums, but it is also a very interesting minor that offers an extremely varied course selection that would supplement almost any major. If you’re like me and you’ve always felt your most at-home in a museum or if you’ve just generally enjoyed your time in museums and want to learn more about the inner workings of the industry, it is more than worth-it to pick up the Museum Studies minor. I especially recommend the minor for students who are or are planning on completing a capstone project due to the research-heavy nature of many of the Museum Studies classes. I especially recommend the ‘Digital History’ and ‘Public History’ classes for students completing or planning to complete a capstone with a subject in the Humanities!