“What has the NAP program done for me? The easier question is what hasn’t it done. It gave me passion for work that I had never experienced.  I worked hard in my classes, and was complimented on my writing (something that had never happened in the 25 years of my life!) I met lifelong colleagues and friends. I learned that professors are people too, and friends, and they have lives outside of nautical archaeology (If you have ever gone shooting antique guns with Kevin Crisman, you know what I mean). I was encouraged to take steps to further my education, to make connections with other professionals, and to become a leader.

I’m not sure that I knew I wanted to be in a museum position when I started at NAP, but by the end, the excitement about sharing research in seminars or finding something on a site an expert in the field has never seen before made me realize that I wanted to share as much knowledge with as many people as I could. The National Museum of the Great Lakes let me take everything I learned at NAP and shape the museum and the archaeology program that we have today. I still work with NAP alum on a regular basis and look forward to catching up with anyone from the program any chance I get.”