OMA 2017 Student Scholarship Blog Series: Issue 2

The Ohio Museums Association is committed to connecting and empowering museum professionals at all stages of their career — including our student and emerging museum professionals!

For our 2017 OMA Annual Conference , OMA was very proud to offer three students seeking careers in the museum field, scholarships to attend OMA 2017 in Toledo.

Miss our first post? Learn more about the Scholarship series and read our previous entry here.

This week's post comes from Shauna Lachendro. Ms. Lachendro is a senior at the University of Akron. She is graduating in December of 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in History and an associate’s degree in Art History. She is currently undergoing a research project on genocide museums and their effect on collective memory.



OMA 2017 - Kick-Starting My Career 

           

Attending the Ohio Museum’s Association 2017 conference was a dream come true. Until recently, I had no idea how to kick-start my career in museums. After attending the conference, and being surrounded by so many successful and inspiring individuals, I feel much more comfortable in my career choice. I also understand the many routes I can take in order to become a museum professional, which is very comforting for someone who lacks guidance from the professional world.

At first, I was intimidated not only by the people around me but also by their accomplishments. I did not believe I could be nearly as great as these museum professionals, but once we got to talking, I realized I really could do this. I currently lack any experience within museums, but I do have three years of experience running a nonprofit student organization at the University of Akron that specifically focuses on education and public outreach.

Since the theme of the conference this year had to do with reaching out and helping the community, I felt like I fit right in. The topics of the presentations were right up my alley, and I am now able to use this new-found knowledge to my advantage. As an ambitious individual, learning what did and did not work in regards to community involvement can really put me and my ideas a step ahead.

Perhaps my favorite part of the conference was the keynote speaker panel. These professionals were simply amazing. As I listened, I was completely star-struck; I loved listening to them answer questions and talk about their institutions. I was also excited to learn that many of them shared the same passions for promoting  education and building communities that not only provide programs to help those in need, but also support diversity.

After attending the 2017 Ohio Museums Association conference, I wish I had learned about this earlier. The conference not only helped me realize my potential, but also allowed me to network and set goals for myself as I embark on my journey into the professional world. For this, I would like to thank the Ohio Museums Association for granting me the scholarship to attend this conference.

Without this experience, I would certainly feel ill-prepared for my future. Once again, I am grateful I was able to get the opportunity to attend the Ohio Museums Association Conference, and I look forward to OMA Con 2018!

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