Amelia Auberry, Class of 2018
Amelia Auberry, Class of 2018Amelia Auberry graduated from University in 2018 and studied history. Today, she works at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio as an interpreter and guest services representative. Below, Amelia answers a few questions about her educational and professional experiences and how University prepared her for life in college and beyond.
What have you been up to since leaving University?
In short, I went to college for five years, trying to figure out my plan, interests, what to do with my time… and I’ve made progress in figuring things out. Covid was… a bummer. But during/after the initial Covid years, I took a chance to switch to studying history, and that choice was one of the best I’ve ever made. I made several friends with whom I keep in contact, and I thoroughly enjoyed my studies. I now have my undergraduate degree and work at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio as an interpreter and as a Guest Services representative. I give tours every week, educating visitors on famed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy in the village of Oak Park, IL. Folks frequently tell me that I’m lucky to work in a museum, and I’m glad to say that, the vast majority of the time, I agree! (With love and understanding for all our guests, I wish that some of them would read our website more carefully.)
Aside from history stuff, I met my long-term partner, and we now live in Chicago. In my spare time I write, read, play board games with my friends, and play (many) video games. I couldn’t be happier in my new home!
Do you see that the core values you learned at University still apply to your life now?
I feel fortunate to have made many of my dear friends at University, and I am eternally grateful to the school for facilitating those connections. My high school friends have provided invaluable support over the years, and I feel lucky to have them.
I also appreciate that University fostered my interest in art. Some of my best memories are from rehearsing for plays and musicals or from trying out things I’d never done before (e.g., spooling and dyeing thread, carving block prints, etc.). My teachers actively encouraged me to explore different artistic disciplines and, in so doing, demonstrated they were invested in my growth as a person.
I am further grateful for my teachers’ patience with me, as I think they could see I was figuring out who I was. (And, that adventure is not complete, but I do feel like I am better acquainted with myself than I used to be.) In particular, my mentor at University, Mrs. Summitt-Mann, set a good example of how an educator should support and advocate for a student. For instance, she stayed really late one day to allow me to finish a final exam that I had forgotten was scheduled for that date. (I was not as organized back then…) That moment is just one of many where she went out of her way to make sure I was set up to succeed later in school/life, and I am ever grateful for her support.
What has been the most valuable experience you have had since leaving University?
Last summer before my second/final senior semester in college, I was a summer research assistant at the UNESCO World Heritage site, New Lanark, located in Lanarkshire, in southern Scotland. I aided their Heritage Team in day-to-day operations and also conducted research on the site’s founder, Robert Owen, and his relationship with early European feminist thought. I gained valuable insight into how a large historical site operates, and, equally importantly, I befriended many of my colleagues and have come to see the folks on their team as mentors. I think that experience jump-started my career, and I will carry many fond memories from that time.