Hannah Houston

Hi, my name is Hannah Houston and I am in my first year as a graduate student at Southeast. I grew up in Charleston, Illinois and came to Southeast to earn my degree in Historic Preservation in 2022. I found Southeast while looking into what archives are and what schooling is needed to become an archivist. Before SEMO I was a history major at a different institution and wanted something more hands on.

I am currently the Graduate Assistant at Special Collections and Archives in Kent Library. Over the Summer I interned at the Cape Girardeau County Archives, and I am currently working on a National Register Nomination for Lincoln Junior High School in Sikeston, Missouri. I am still figuring out what I want to do after graduation, I really focused on archives during my undergraduate degree and still do archival work. In the last year I have started gaining interest in built environment.

I like Cape Girardeau because it is a lot like my hometown. We have a college about the same size, but it is a very family friendly environment but with more retail options. I do enjoy that Cape has a historic downtown and organizations that work to preserve the area’s history.

I have enjoyed my first year as a graduate student. I have been able to continue to build relationships with faculty on campus and continue to learn skills that will help me in a professional environment.