As an Undergrad…
I studied History at Agnes Scott College after transferring from Valdosta State University following my freshman year. At Valdosta State, I pursued classes primarily in History and Public Relations because I knew I was drawn to people and their stories, but I couldn’t figure out how it manifested for my future career.
At Agnes Scott College, the History department allowed me to continue my exploration and education without any tension or difficulty. I took history classes ranging from the Ancient Minoans to the Tang Dynasty to the women of 20th century Egypt to the birth of the US Conservative Party. I simply could not decide what history I wanted to focus on, while turning blinders on the rest.
Eventually I remembered an old book of Russian Fairytales I grew up reading and thought it would be interesting to do my senior thesis on the women of Kyivan Rus’, a complicated history made more complicated by the lack of gender diversity. Most of what was written was by men and about men. It was hard to find where women held any significance or power in Kyivan Rus’. So after I finished that project, I wondered if women ever became more openly included in Eastern Europe’s history. I studied from Kyivan Rus’ through the Muscovite Society, the reign of Ivan IV, and ending around the time of Stalin and the World Wars.
I became very temporarily obsessed with decoding Eastern Europe and the voice of those they suppressed. So much so that after graduation, I got a matryoshka tattooed on my arm. But still, it felt like a chapter had concluded and I was pretty sure that my relationship with the historical women of Eastern Europe was coming to a close.
Beginning my Career…
Around the time of graduation, I secured a job as a Guest Engagement Ambassador at The Atlanta History Center, one of the biggest history museums in the South.
I entered the job assuming that my passion was history and that I would use my part-time position as a stepping stone towards connections so that I could become a curator or historian one day. Instead I found myself even more invested in the operations of the museum than the histories on display. And the Atlanta History Center has some profound and stunning pieces of history on display, so to be more compelled by the organizational aspect was surprising to me.
My managers and bosses saw my investment and quickly promoted me to full-time and then to a manager within 9 months of my working there. The transition was easy because I cared about ticket sales and public programs and guest experience. If anything was difficult, it was that I wanted to be in the room where all the important conversations were happening. I wanted higher security access to the data analytics of museum attendees. I wanted to help lead this organization, instead of just working there.
As a Graduate Student…
As I begin graduate studies in Nonprofit Management at Johns Hopkins University, I feel excited to get my questions answered. Do all cultural nonprofits run like mine does? How does our CEO navigate the desires of our Board of Directors? How much does the federal government impact the museum even though we’re a private nonprofit? How does a cultural nonprofit stay alive in the booming technological age of AI?
As my studies begin in Fall of 2026, I’m sure new questions will arise as these get answered. Both as a blog and as a testament to my passions, I will keep track of my exploration here.
Katherine Johnson 