After graduating, Phoenix now finds joy working in the community and preserving Mendocino County’s historical documents—a path first sparked by DRBU’s great books curriculum.

What are you currently up to?

I’m working as the assistant archivist at the Historical Society of Mendocino County (HSMC), located in Ukiah. For those who don’t know, an archive is somewhere between a library and a museum. We handle mostly books and documents, most often the original historical copies. While we are open to the public, you can’t just walk into an archive, check something out, and take it home—you have to request what you need to see, and an archivist will bring it out for you and supervise while you study it. HSMC’s archive is, as you might expect, dedicated to the history of Mendocino County. My job primarily consists of doing research for clients so the head archivist can focus on larger projects. When I’m not rifling through stacks of paper and old photographs to find people what they need, I’m usually accessioning (that’s fancy archivist talk for adding new items to the collection)!

What do you like about archival work?

All of it! I love the opportunity to learn and share knowledge, the chance to handle rare historical documents and artifacts that most people never get to see, the sense of satisfaction that comes with organizing, and the delight of helping people find what they need. I find a lot of peace and joy in the work.

How have you applied what you learned at DRBU to what you are currently doing?

DRBU is really what planted the seed in my mind that eventually grew into the realization that I wanted to be an archivist. DRBU’s curriculum taught me the value of historical documents and the importance of preserving history and knowledge for future scholars. I also happened to do my work study hours in the library, which was my first hands-on experience with information science, the broader professional field that encompasses librarians, archivists, museum curators, and other related jobs. It all came together right as my graduation began to loom on the horizon, and I realized I needed to decide where I was going next. I wouldn’t say there’s one particular skill or lesson I took from DRBU into my career; DRBU gave me the tools to determine what was important to me and what work I found fulfilling, and in doing so, helped me find the right career for me.

What is a favorite memory from your time at DRBU?

I genuinely miss the class environment at DRBU. I never stopped reading big difficult books after I left, but now I don’t have nearly so many people around me who want to read along with me and discuss the books!

Any insights, advice, or words of wisdom you’d like to share with current and incoming students?

A lot of people are going to ask you if this degree is worth it. Some of them will mean well and ask out of concern for your future. Others will mean it cruelly and seek to make fun of you for your choices. In both cases, they’ll usually be referencing your potential to find work. If those questions ever start to get under your skin and make you doubt the path you chose, I want you to remember how many people are thousands of dollars in debt, for degrees they didn’t enjoy getting, to work jobs that they don’t enjoy having, just because someone told them to prioritize money over everything else. Am I ever going to get rich being an archivist? No. But a long career in a field I find fulfilling, where I’m genuinely happy to get up and go to work in the morning, is priceless to me. DRBU was my first step to finding that. It could be your first step too.