Name: Sophie Swanson, MA ‘19
Hometown: Tucson, AZ
College: Yale University

I like to think about the study of Material Culture as an accumulation of the intimate layers of our lives—of those substances and surfaces that support contact between ourselves and others. A world of inquiry so dense demands, in my opinion, a broad curriculum. I chose the BGC because nowhere else but in our Upper West Side townhouse can one find such an extensive array of classes spanning the vast realm of Material Culture studies. And equally important, outside the classroom just a few buildings down in the BGC Gallery, I have the unique opportunity to engage with the latest in museum education pedagogy concerning objects. As a Gallery Educator, I regularly share the joy of learning through things with visiting school groups and members of the public. This past summer I also had a blast working with the Lab for Teen Thinkers at the BGC, our five week summer intensive program for rising NYC public school juniors and seniors. I feel confident that, however my career path may emerge from here, the layers of academic and professional rigor I’ve accumulated at the BGC will propel my future into the Museum and Heritage sectors.