Randy Greeves

I am from a small town called Oologah in Oklahoma. Oologah is Cherokee for “Dark Cloud” and I graduated high school from Oologah-Talala Highschool in 2015. From there I moved to Rolla, Missouri to start my undergraduate career at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

I planned to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering, but found out I was not as good at math as I thought I was and transferred to the history department.

I graduated in 2020 with a Bachelors of Science in History with a minor in Political Science. Graduating at the height of the pandemic meant a lot of places I applied to work withdrew their openings as the nation shut down. A professor at S&T told me about SEMO’s graduate program deadline extension and I signed up to see if it would help me decide what to do with my life and degree. I am very glad I did.

Since starting my graduate studies at SEMO a year ago I have found a part time job as a student worker in the Crisp Museum getting hands-on experience, I have been undertaking genealogical research for a patron, explored many abandoned buildings, and created my own archival collection.

My major here at SEMO is a Masters in Public History with a focus in Historic Preservation. I always enjoyed history, and I prefer jobs where I can be hands-on with things which means being able to work in museums or on historic buildings is the perfect fit for me as it fulfills many of the needs I have. There is nothing better than poking around in the back of a museum and finding all the hidden gems that are not on display.

            My first year of the program was a hard one, probably one of the hardest years of my life so far. Not only did I move and leave all my friends, support nets, favorite study halls and bars behind, but I did it in the middle of a pandemic with very little time to prepare. I moved into my apartment in Cape two days before my first class started, and I did not move to a very good part of town since I did not know better. However, I found a group of people that were welcoming and professors who were ready to work with me and help me to succeed. I enjoyed all my classes, and was fortunate to have many opportunities to learn and try new things. This program has solidified in helping me decide what I want to do with my life and I am thankful for that.

            Doing this masters program was really my life coming full circle. When I was little I wanted nothing more than to be a paleontologist. I had only decided to do engineering because that’s what most people around me thought I would be best at…turns out high schoolers don’t really know what they want. Now I will be able to do something adjacent to my childhood dream. I would really like to work in the Smithsonian Museum in D.C. (partially because they have an awesome fossil collection, and who knows what’s in storage).

            Cape Girardeau is the largest town I have ever lived in, so it’s size has been a bit overwhelming at times. I like the history of the town. It is an old town that has been around longer than Missouri has been a state, and it has a lot of good bars to drink at, fun places to visit, and there always seems to be something to do.

            A lot of my inspiration is self derived. I want to work in the Historic Preservation field because I think that is where I will be happiest. Some part of why I am aiming so high with the Smithsonian is because people keep telling me that I won’t make it. The biggest reason I am able to keep moving on and to do all the hard things I need to so I can succeed is my mom. Before I started here I had an opportunity to work for my uncle’s company as a traveling salesman. It was not a job I would have liked in any way shape or form, but he promised I could make a lot of money. I was almost done with the interviewing process and basically had the job lined up when my mom sat me down and made me admit to whether I would be happy doing that or if I would be happier following my heart into the field I am working towards. No matter what I decided to do or how big of a risk I took she always supported me and encouraged me to do what was going to make me happiest and I can’t thank her enough for that.

            My favorite thing about the program is how much hands on and practical experience I am getting. For instance in my Building Materials class we would often tour historic buildings and talk about the materials used and how they deteriorate and what can be done to fix that. In my Archives class I was able to create my own archival collection focused around my collegiate experience. Being able to see and do these things in person better equips me to do that task in my professional career while also helping to identify any areas of confusion I may have had.

            If you were to ask me about the American presidency or most major historic events that occurred during the 20th century there is a chance that we would spend quite a bit of time talking. I enjoy reading and learning about how the political sphere of the world impacts the social sphere, and since the 20th century sees the most social and political change it is a very exciting time for me to read about.

In the next few months I will be doing my advanced project which will give me even more hands-on experience in the field, and will be continuing to work at the Crisp museum setting up art galleries, helping with exhibits, and cataloging collections.