Class of 2021: History major gains appreciation for how much is yet to know

Juniper Guthrie
Juniper Guthrie
M any people think history’s boring, something found in dusty old books.

But Juniper Guthrie can tell you that’s not true.

History is alive and a part of everyday life. After four years of study and being on the cusp of earning dual degrees in history and liberal studies with minors in women and gender studies, French and museum studies—the only thing Guthrie knows for sure is there is so much more to learn.

Academically, I’ve learned things are not as simple as I thought they were.
– Juniper Guthrie
“Academically, I’ve learned things are not as simple as I thought they were,” Guthrie said. “In my first history class, I thought I already knew world history. Then, I realized I didn’t know as much about this as I thought.”

When Guthrie crosses the commencement stage next month and celebrates at Lavender Graduation—where students of the LGBTQ+ community are affirmed and recognized by chosen names and pronouns—they’ll reflect on how lucky they were to come to Georgia College and how much they’ll miss being here.

“We just have such an incredibly amazing history department,” Guthrie said. “I’m just really lucky I ended up here, because the faculty support I’ve received there and in the museum studies department is amazing.”

“There are so many hyper-specific fields that I had no idea were there, and there’s so much more history to learn,” they said. “There’s so much out there, and it’s all absolutely fascinating.”

When touring Georgia College as a prospective student and seeing the Old Governor’s Mansion decked out for Christmas, Guthrie thought, “This is a place where history is clearly valued.”

They dived right in as a student, taking advantage of every opportunity to research, write and share history. Guthrie wrote a paper on the 50th anniversary of an honors program at Georgia College. They worked a summer internship at the Southeastern Museum Conference in Atlanta, helping with organization and promotional efforts. And, they became a docent at Andalusia, the home of famed alumna and author Flannery O’Connor.

Being able to share with people what history actually is and why it’s important and relevant to us today—that’s what really gets me excited.
– Guthrie
It’s in this position—giving public tours the past three years, selling items in the gift shop and cataloging historical items into the archival collection—that Guthrie found their true love. They now want to work at a small museum and eventually get their master’s degree in history.

“I just fell in love with it. This is what I want to do,” Guthrie said. “It’s just really amazing being able to literally hold a part of history.”

“Museums are about public history, about taking what you know and sharing it with people,” they said. “I think a lot of people have a misconception of history as something that’s boring and dusty and doesn’t change. Being able to share with people what history actually is and why it’s important and relevant to us today—that’s what really gets me excited.”

Guthrie on the front porch at Andalusia.
Guthrie on the front porch at Andalusia.

History can help people understand why things are the way they are in society. Seeing patterns in history can help solve today’s problems and give people a greater understanding of the world, Guthrie said. Studying history has also helped them see things in context and “not just take ideas for granted.”

These skills have come in handy while writing their senior thesis paper. Guthrie’s topic focuses on Russian women and the practice of telling folklore to transmit cultural ideals. Although the theme has been studied before, Guthrie believes they’re the first to show “how male academics have taken women’s stories and used them to facilitate a patriarchal narrative that diminishes the female role in society.”

It’s a  culmination of everything Guthrie’s learned at Georgia College. They point to Dr. Stephanie Opperman and Dr. Mark Huddle as their favorite educators. Guthrie said Opperman gives a “mind-blowing” oral history class, and Huddle “destroys the conventional narrative of the civil rights movement.”

Their advice to incoming students is simple: Communication is key to success. As an honors student and secretary of Pride Alliance, Guthrie keeps busy. Communicating with professors has been paramount in accomplishing their goals.

“I would say definitely do everything that interests you,” they said. “This is the time for exploration and figuring out what you want to do.”

The best things can happen when you are not expecting them to. So, if it’s interesting to you, go for it. Maybe it’ll turn out amazing.
– Guthrie