{"id":110254,"date":"2026-05-05T11:53:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/?p=110254"},"modified":"2026-05-06T12:13:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T16:13:52","slug":"museum-magic-fuels-umw-students-career-in-curation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/05\/museum-magic-fuels-umw-students-career-in-curation\/","title":{"rendered":"Museum \u2018Magic\u2019 Fuels UMW Student\u2019s Career in Curation"},"content":{"rendered":"<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><section class=\"wp-block-umw-hero alignfull umw-custom-block umw-hero umw-hero--dark-text umw-hero--media-float-right umw-hero--white umw-hero--with-no-media umw-hero--with-no-content\"><div class=\"umw-hero__inner\"><div class=\"umw-hero__media\"><\/div><div class=\"umw-hero__title\"><div class=\"container\"><div class=\"umw-hero__title__wrapper\"><h1 class=\"umw-hero__title__header\">News<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><h2 class=\"alignwide wp-block-post-title\">Museum &lsquo;Magic&rsquo; Fuels UMW Student&rsquo;s Career in Curation<\/h2><div class=\"wp-block-group umw-news-author-credit is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad2f72ca wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-05-05T11:53:06-04:00\">May 5, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<p>by<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\">Sarah Hertz Mahoney<\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-attachment-id=\"110249\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/university-of-mary-washington-fredericksburg-vaapril-2025-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/250417_umw_spring_branded-0526.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"8192,5464\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"2.2\",\"credit\":\"Parker Michels-Boyce\",\"camera\":\"Canon EOS R5\",\"caption\":\"University of Mary Washington \\nFredericksburg, VA\\nApril, 2025\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1744900873\",\"copyright\":\"Parker Michels-Boyce Photography\",\"focal_length\":\"28\",\"iso\":\"800\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.008\",\"title\":\"University of Mary Washington \\nFredericksburg, VA\\nApril, 2025\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;University of Mary Washington senior Makayla Bowman&amp;#8217;s college journey included a double major in anthropology and historic preservation, a minor in museum studies, presentations at regional conferences and internships geared toward a career in curation. Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/250417_umw_spring_branded-0526-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/250417_umw_spring_branded-0526-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/250417_umw_spring_branded-0526-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Senior Makayla Bowman at the Fredericksburg Area Museum\" class=\"wp-image-110249\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/250417_umw_spring_branded-0526-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/250417_umw_spring_branded-0526-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/250417_umw_spring_branded-0526-768x512.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/250417_umw_spring_branded-0526-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/250417_umw_spring_branded-0526-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">University of Mary Washington senior Makayla Bowman&rsquo;s college journey included a double major in anthropology and historic preservation, a minor in museum studies, presentations at regional conferences and internships geared toward a career in curation. Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><p>When her family moved to Northern Virginia, University of Mary Washington Honors student Makayla Bowman spent many a weekend exploring the Smithsonian museums in nearby Washington, D.C. The quiet power of those spaces &ndash; even at the age of seven &ndash; stirred something inside her.<\/p><p>&ldquo;After those magical museum visits,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I knew I didn&rsquo;t just want to learn about history. I wanted to tell it.&rdquo;<\/p><p>Now a senior double majoring in anthropology and historic preservation, she&rsquo;s learning to help others understand how the past shapes the present, while carving out her own future &ndash; a career in museum curation.<\/p><p>&ldquo;I love getting hands-on with artifacts and telling their stories,&rdquo; said Bowman, who also added a museum studies minor and completed internships at the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Gari Melchers Home and Studio. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s about making history approachable, something everyone can see and understand.&rdquo;<\/p><p>She&rsquo;s worked on tours, exhibits and programming, and even participated in a medieval burial site excavation in Spain. As a student aide in UMW&rsquo;s Archaeology Laboratory and Simpson Library Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA), she co-curated an exhibit detailing the century-long history of the school&rsquo;s annual Devil-Goat Day tradition.<\/p><section class=\"image-gallery layout__block\">\n\t<div class=\"image-gallery__inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__main\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__main__track\" js-slideshow-track=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__slide\" js-slide=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-main\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1131\" height=\"772\" data-attachment-id=\"110240\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/processed-6cd08ecd-109b-4490-8d35-a9fcb6a2324e\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-6CD08ECD-109B-4490-8D35-A9FCB6A2324E-scaled-e1777989783630.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1707,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Makayla Bowman is a senior double majoring in anthropology and historic preservation with a minor in museum studies.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-6CD08ECD-109B-4490-8D35-A9FCB6A2324E-scaled-e1777989783630-300x270.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-6CD08ECD-109B-4490-8D35-A9FCB6A2324E-scaled-e1777989783630-1024x921.jpeg\" data-id=\"110240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-6CD08ECD-109B-4490-8D35-A9FCB6A2324E-scaled-e1777989783630-1131x772.jpeg\" alt=\"Makayla Bowman standing in the library aisle with graduation robes and cords\" class=\"wp-image-110240\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__slide\" js-slide=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-main\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1131\" height=\"772\" data-attachment-id=\"110235\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/maaconferencepresentation\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/MAAConferencePresentation.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman presents her mortuary archaeology research at the Mid-Atlantic Archaeology Conference in Gettysburg.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/MAAConferencePresentation-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/MAAConferencePresentation-1024x768.jpg\" data-id=\"110235\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/MAAConferencePresentation-1131x772.jpg\" alt=\"Bowman at the podium with a presentation on the screen beside her\" class=\"wp-image-110235\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__slide\" js-slide=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-main\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1131\" height=\"772\" data-attachment-id=\"110236\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/cocuratedexhibitdevilgoatday\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/CoCuratedExhibitDevilGoatDay-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1920,2560\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"1.6\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 13\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1769013127\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"5.1\",\"iso\":\"160\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.0166666666667\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Titled &amp;#8220;One Hundred Years of Horns,&amp;#8221; this exhibit was developed by Bowman alongside fellow SCUA aide Clementine Worshek &rsquo;28 and was on display in UMW&amp;#8217;s Simpson Library. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/CoCuratedExhibitDevilGoatDay-225x300.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/CoCuratedExhibitDevilGoatDay-768x1024.jpg\" data-id=\"110236\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/CoCuratedExhibitDevilGoatDay-1131x772.jpg\" alt=\"An exhibit with artifacts from Bowman's co-curated exhibit for Devil-Goat Day\" class=\"wp-image-110236\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__slide\" js-slide=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-main\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1131\" height=\"772\" data-attachment-id=\"110238\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/archaeologylabaidecrossmendingglass\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyLabAideCrossmendingGlass-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1920,2560\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"1.6\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 13\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1768990431\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"5.1\",\"iso\":\"125\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.00833333333333\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman mends glass while serving as a student aide in UMW&rsquo;s Archaeology Laboratory.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyLabAideCrossmendingGlass-225x300.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyLabAideCrossmendingGlass-768x1024.jpg\" data-id=\"110238\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyLabAideCrossmendingGlass-1131x772.jpg\" alt=\"Bowman works at a table cross mending glass in an office\" class=\"wp-image-110238\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__slide\" js-slide=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-main\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1131\" height=\"772\" data-attachment-id=\"110239\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/spainexcavationpickaxe2024\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/SpainExcavationPickaxe2024-scaled-e1777990174662.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1917,1476\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"1.8\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 11\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1720681807\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"4.25\",\"iso\":\"40\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.00819672131148\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman participated in a medieval burial site excavation in Spain in 2024.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/SpainExcavationPickaxe2024-scaled-e1777990174662-300x231.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/SpainExcavationPickaxe2024-scaled-e1777990174662-1024x788.jpg\" data-id=\"110239\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/SpainExcavationPickaxe2024-scaled-e1777990174662-1131x772.jpg\" alt=\"Bowman holding a pick ax on an excavation in Spain\" class=\"wp-image-110239\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__nav image-gallery__nav--previous\" aria-label=\"Previous\" js-prev>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\r\n<path d=\"M18.5 12H6M6 12L12 6M6 12L12 18\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><\/path>\r\n<\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__nav image-gallery__nav--next\" aria-label=\"Next\" js-next>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\r\n<path d=\"M6 12H18.5M18.5 12L12.5 6M18.5 12L12.5 18\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><\/path>\r\n<\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnails\" js-thumbnails-container=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnails__track\" js-thumbnail-track>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail\" aria-label=\"Slide 0 thumbnail\" js-thumbnail>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-thumb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"116\" data-attachment-id=\"110240\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/processed-6cd08ecd-109b-4490-8d35-a9fcb6a2324e\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-6CD08ECD-109B-4490-8D35-A9FCB6A2324E-scaled-e1777989783630.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1707,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Makayla Bowman is a senior double majoring in anthropology and historic preservation with a minor in museum studies.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-6CD08ECD-109B-4490-8D35-A9FCB6A2324E-scaled-e1777989783630-300x270.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-6CD08ECD-109B-4490-8D35-A9FCB6A2324E-scaled-e1777989783630-1024x921.jpeg\" data-id=\"110240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-6CD08ECD-109B-4490-8D35-A9FCB6A2324E-scaled-e1777989783630-224x116.jpeg\" alt=\"Makayla Bowman standing in the library aisle with graduation robes and cords\" class=\"wp-image-110240\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail\" aria-label=\"Slide 1 thumbnail\" js-thumbnail>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-thumb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"116\" data-attachment-id=\"110235\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/maaconferencepresentation\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/MAAConferencePresentation.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman presents her mortuary archaeology research at the Mid-Atlantic Archaeology Conference in Gettysburg.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/MAAConferencePresentation-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/MAAConferencePresentation-1024x768.jpg\" data-id=\"110235\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/MAAConferencePresentation-224x116.jpg\" alt=\"Bowman at the podium with a presentation on the screen beside her\" class=\"wp-image-110235\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail\" aria-label=\"Slide 2 thumbnail\" js-thumbnail>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-thumb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"116\" data-attachment-id=\"110236\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/cocuratedexhibitdevilgoatday\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/CoCuratedExhibitDevilGoatDay-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1920,2560\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"1.6\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 13\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1769013127\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"5.1\",\"iso\":\"160\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.0166666666667\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Titled &amp;#8220;One Hundred Years of Horns,&amp;#8221; this exhibit was developed by Bowman alongside fellow SCUA aide Clementine Worshek &rsquo;28 and was on display in UMW&amp;#8217;s Simpson Library. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/CoCuratedExhibitDevilGoatDay-225x300.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/CoCuratedExhibitDevilGoatDay-768x1024.jpg\" data-id=\"110236\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/CoCuratedExhibitDevilGoatDay-224x116.jpg\" alt=\"An exhibit with artifacts from Bowman's co-curated exhibit for Devil-Goat Day\" class=\"wp-image-110236\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail\" aria-label=\"Slide 3 thumbnail\" js-thumbnail>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-thumb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"116\" data-attachment-id=\"110238\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/archaeologylabaidecrossmendingglass\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyLabAideCrossmendingGlass-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1920,2560\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"1.6\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 13\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1768990431\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"5.1\",\"iso\":\"125\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.00833333333333\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman mends glass while serving as a student aide in UMW&rsquo;s Archaeology Laboratory.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyLabAideCrossmendingGlass-225x300.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyLabAideCrossmendingGlass-768x1024.jpg\" data-id=\"110238\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyLabAideCrossmendingGlass-224x116.jpg\" alt=\"Bowman works at a table cross mending glass in an office\" class=\"wp-image-110238\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail\" aria-label=\"Slide 4 thumbnail\" js-thumbnail>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-thumb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"116\" data-attachment-id=\"110239\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/spainexcavationpickaxe2024\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/SpainExcavationPickaxe2024-scaled-e1777990174662.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1917,1476\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"1.8\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 11\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1720681807\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"4.25\",\"iso\":\"40\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.00819672131148\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman participated in a medieval burial site excavation in Spain in 2024.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/SpainExcavationPickaxe2024-scaled-e1777990174662-300x231.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/SpainExcavationPickaxe2024-scaled-e1777990174662-1024x788.jpg\" data-id=\"110239\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/SpainExcavationPickaxe2024-scaled-e1777990174662-224x116.jpg\" alt=\"Bowman holding a pick ax on an excavation in Spain\" class=\"wp-image-110239\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager__section\" js-page><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager__section\" js-page><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager__section\" js-page><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager__section\" js-page><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager__section\" js-page><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description-container\" js-description-container>\n\t\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description\" js-description>\n                                                                        <div class=\"image-gallery__description__summary\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Makayla Bowman is a senior double majoring in anthropology and historic preservation with a museum studies minor.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description\" js-description>\n                                                                        <div class=\"image-gallery__description__summary\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bowman presents her mortuary archaeology research at the Mid-Atlantic Archaeology Conference in Gettysburg.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description\" js-description>\n                                                                        <div class=\"image-gallery__description__summary\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Titled &ldquo;One Hundred Years of Horns,&rdquo; this exhibit was developed by Bowman alongside fellow SCUA aide Clementine Worshek &rsquo;28 and was on display in UMW&rsquo;s Simpson Library. <\/figcaption><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description\" js-description>\n                                                                        <div class=\"image-gallery__description__summary\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bowman mends glass while serving as a student aide in UMW&rsquo;s Archaeology Laboratory.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description\" js-description>\n                                                                        <div class=\"image-gallery__description__summary\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bowman participated in a medieval burial site excavation in Spain in 2024.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section><p>The exhibit, titled <em><a href=\"https:\/\/scuanews.umwsites.net\/2025\/12\/10\/one-hundred-years-of-horns\/\">One Hundred Years of Horns<\/a><\/em>, was developed by Bowman alongside fellow SCUA aide Clementine Worshek &rsquo;28. Together, the duo researched archival materials to showcase the long-standing rivalry between odd and even graduation years. The project was on display during the spring semester in UMW&rsquo;s Simpson Library.<\/p><p>Also president of the Humanities and Social Sciences Society, vice president of <em>Columns Academic Journal<\/em> and statistician for the women&rsquo;s volleyball team, Bowman credits much of her drive to mentors, like Associate Professor of Historic Preservation Cristina Turdean, who, she said, &ldquo;pushed me to reach higher.&rdquo;<\/p><p>Bowman&rsquo;s work has gained attention beyond campus as well. She presented mortuary archaeology research at the Mid-Atlantic Archaeology Conference in Gettysburg and participated in the National Preservation Institute&rsquo;s seminar on cultural landscapes in Fredericksburg. She also spoke about archival collections on a panel at the Virginia Association of Museums Conference in Williamsburg and represented UMW&rsquo;s Historic Preservation Department at the Edenton Preservation Symposium in North Carolina.<\/p><section class=\"image-gallery layout__block\">\n\t<div class=\"image-gallery__inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__main\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__main__track\" js-slideshow-track=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__slide\" js-slide=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-main\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1131\" height=\"772\" data-attachment-id=\"110244\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/processed-d1568004-8fdc-4857-b90e-50b825dc34fb\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-D1568004-8FDC-4857-B90E-50B825DC34FB-scaled-e1777989814593.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1707,1877\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Makayla Bowman hopes to help others understand how the past shapes the present, while carving out her own future career in museum curation.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-D1568004-8FDC-4857-B90E-50B825DC34FB-scaled-e1777989814593-273x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-D1568004-8FDC-4857-B90E-50B825DC34FB-scaled-e1777989814593-931x1024.jpeg\" data-id=\"110244\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-D1568004-8FDC-4857-B90E-50B825DC34FB-scaled-e1777989814593-1131x772.jpeg\" alt=\"Bowman poses outdoors on campus with graduation robe and cords\" class=\"wp-image-110244\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__slide\" js-slide=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-main\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1131\" height=\"772\" data-attachment-id=\"110234\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/storagetostorytellingpanelvam\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/StorageToStorytellingPanelVAM-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"1.78\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 16 Pro\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1773670922\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"6.76499986565\",\"iso\":\"200\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.0166666666667\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman (far right) served on a panel at the Virginia Association of Museums Conference in Williamsburg.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/StorageToStorytellingPanelVAM-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/StorageToStorytellingPanelVAM-1024x768.jpg\" data-id=\"110234\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/StorageToStorytellingPanelVAM-1131x772.jpg\" alt=\"Bowman and three other panelists pose for a photo while sitting at a table\" class=\"wp-image-110234\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__slide\" js-slide=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-main\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1131\" height=\"772\" data-attachment-id=\"110232\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/varsityvolleyballstatisticians\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VarsityVolleyballStatisticians-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"2.2\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 13\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1758974220\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"2.71\",\"iso\":\"200\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.0181818181818\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman (right) poses with friends while volunteering as a statistician for the UMW women&amp;#8217;s volleyball team. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VarsityVolleyballStatisticians-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VarsityVolleyballStatisticians-1024x768.jpg\" data-id=\"110232\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VarsityVolleyballStatisticians-1131x772.jpg\" alt=\"Three women smiling together in the Ron Rosner arena on campus\" class=\"wp-image-110232\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__slide\" js-slide=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-main\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1131\" height=\"772\" data-attachment-id=\"110233\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/vamcolonialwilliamsburg\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VAMColonialWilliamsburg-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"2.2\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 13\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1773588356\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"2.71\",\"iso\":\"32\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.0018115942029\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman visited Williamsburg for the Virginia Association of Museums Conference where she was a panelist discussing archival collections.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VAMColonialWilliamsburg-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VAMColonialWilliamsburg-1024x768.jpg\" data-id=\"110233\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VAMColonialWilliamsburg-1131x772.jpg\" alt=\"Bowman posing in front of a building in Williamsburg\" class=\"wp-image-110233\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__slide\" js-slide=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-main\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1131\" height=\"772\" data-attachment-id=\"110241\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/processed-9a9edbb1-a69e-446f-bb9b-8303fe5d7919\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-9A9EDBB1-A69E-446F-BB9B-8303FE5D7919-scaled.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1707,2560\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;As a student aide in UMW&rsquo;s Archaeology Laboratory and Simpson Library Special Collections and University Archives, Bowman co-curated an exhibit detailing the century-long history of Devil-Goat Day.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-9A9EDBB1-A69E-446F-BB9B-8303FE5D7919-200x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-9A9EDBB1-A69E-446F-BB9B-8303FE5D7919-683x1024.jpeg\" data-id=\"110241\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-9A9EDBB1-A69E-446F-BB9B-8303FE5D7919-1131x772.jpeg\" alt=\"A display Bowman curated detailing Devil-Goat Day\" class=\"wp-image-110241\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__slide\" js-slide=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-main\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1131\" height=\"772\" data-attachment-id=\"110237\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/archaeologywashnights\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyWashNights-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"2.2\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 13\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1771436560\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"2.71\",\"iso\":\"250\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.0166666666667\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman (right) helps host a Get Dirty, Go Wash Artifact Night where students &ndash; regardless of major &ndash; can gain experience washing artifacts in the lab while watching an archaeology-related film.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyWashNights-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyWashNights-1024x768.jpg\" data-id=\"110237\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyWashNights-1131x772.jpg\" alt=\"Bowman gives the camera a thumbs up with students in the background are at tables in a classroom and movie is playing on a projection screen\" class=\"wp-image-110237\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__nav image-gallery__nav--previous\" aria-label=\"Previous\" js-prev>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\r\n<path d=\"M18.5 12H6M6 12L12 6M6 12L12 18\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><\/path>\r\n<\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__nav image-gallery__nav--next\" aria-label=\"Next\" js-next>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\r\n<path d=\"M6 12H18.5M18.5 12L12.5 6M18.5 12L12.5 18\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><\/path>\r\n<\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnails\" js-thumbnails-container=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnails__track\" js-thumbnail-track>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail\" aria-label=\"Slide 0 thumbnail\" js-thumbnail>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-thumb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"116\" data-attachment-id=\"110244\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/processed-d1568004-8fdc-4857-b90e-50b825dc34fb\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-D1568004-8FDC-4857-B90E-50B825DC34FB-scaled-e1777989814593.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1707,1877\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Makayla Bowman hopes to help others understand how the past shapes the present, while carving out her own future career in museum curation.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-D1568004-8FDC-4857-B90E-50B825DC34FB-scaled-e1777989814593-273x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-D1568004-8FDC-4857-B90E-50B825DC34FB-scaled-e1777989814593-931x1024.jpeg\" data-id=\"110244\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-D1568004-8FDC-4857-B90E-50B825DC34FB-scaled-e1777989814593-224x116.jpeg\" alt=\"Bowman poses outdoors on campus with graduation robe and cords\" class=\"wp-image-110244\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail\" aria-label=\"Slide 1 thumbnail\" js-thumbnail>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-thumb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"116\" data-attachment-id=\"110234\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/storagetostorytellingpanelvam\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/StorageToStorytellingPanelVAM-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"1.78\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 16 Pro\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1773670922\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"6.76499986565\",\"iso\":\"200\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.0166666666667\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman (far right) served on a panel at the Virginia Association of Museums Conference in Williamsburg.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/StorageToStorytellingPanelVAM-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/StorageToStorytellingPanelVAM-1024x768.jpg\" data-id=\"110234\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/StorageToStorytellingPanelVAM-224x116.jpg\" alt=\"Bowman and three other panelists pose for a photo while sitting at a table\" class=\"wp-image-110234\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail\" aria-label=\"Slide 2 thumbnail\" js-thumbnail>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-thumb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"116\" data-attachment-id=\"110232\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/varsityvolleyballstatisticians\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VarsityVolleyballStatisticians-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"2.2\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 13\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1758974220\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"2.71\",\"iso\":\"200\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.0181818181818\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman (right) poses with friends while volunteering as a statistician for the UMW women&amp;#8217;s volleyball team. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VarsityVolleyballStatisticians-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VarsityVolleyballStatisticians-1024x768.jpg\" data-id=\"110232\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VarsityVolleyballStatisticians-224x116.jpg\" alt=\"Three women smiling together in the Ron Rosner arena on campus\" class=\"wp-image-110232\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail\" aria-label=\"Slide 3 thumbnail\" js-thumbnail>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-thumb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"116\" data-attachment-id=\"110233\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/vamcolonialwilliamsburg\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VAMColonialWilliamsburg-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"2.2\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 13\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1773588356\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"2.71\",\"iso\":\"32\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.0018115942029\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman visited Williamsburg for the Virginia Association of Museums Conference where she was a panelist discussing archival collections.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VAMColonialWilliamsburg-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VAMColonialWilliamsburg-1024x768.jpg\" data-id=\"110233\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/VAMColonialWilliamsburg-224x116.jpg\" alt=\"Bowman posing in front of a building in Williamsburg\" class=\"wp-image-110233\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail\" aria-label=\"Slide 4 thumbnail\" js-thumbnail>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-thumb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"116\" data-attachment-id=\"110241\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/processed-9a9edbb1-a69e-446f-bb9b-8303fe5d7919\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-9A9EDBB1-A69E-446F-BB9B-8303FE5D7919-scaled.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1707,2560\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;As a student aide in UMW&rsquo;s Archaeology Laboratory and Simpson Library Special Collections and University Archives, Bowman co-curated an exhibit detailing the century-long history of Devil-Goat Day.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-9A9EDBB1-A69E-446F-BB9B-8303FE5D7919-200x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-9A9EDBB1-A69E-446F-BB9B-8303FE5D7919-683x1024.jpeg\" data-id=\"110241\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/processed-9A9EDBB1-A69E-446F-BB9B-8303FE5D7919-224x116.jpeg\" alt=\"A display Bowman curated detailing Devil-Goat Day\" class=\"wp-image-110241\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail\" aria-label=\"Slide 5 thumbnail\" js-thumbnail>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__slideshow__thumbnail__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-umw-gallery-thumb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"116\" data-attachment-id=\"110237\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/archaeologywashnights\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyWashNights-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"2.2\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"iPhone 13\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1771436560\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"2.71\",\"iso\":\"250\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.0166666666667\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bowman (right) helps host a Get Dirty, Go Wash Artifact Night where students &ndash; regardless of major &ndash; can gain experience washing artifacts in the lab while watching an archaeology-related film.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyWashNights-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyWashNights-1024x768.jpg\" data-id=\"110237\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/ArchaeologyWashNights-224x116.jpg\" alt=\"Bowman gives the camera a thumbs up with students in the background are at tables in a classroom and movie is playing on a projection screen\" class=\"wp-image-110237\"><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager__section\" js-page><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager__section\" js-page><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager__section\" js-page><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager__section\" js-page><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager__section\" js-page><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__pager__section\" js-page><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description-container\" js-description-container>\n\t\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description\" js-description>\n                                                                        <div class=\"image-gallery__description__summary\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Makayla Bowman hopes to help others understand how the past shapes the present, while carving out her own future career in museum curation.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description\" js-description>\n                                                                        <div class=\"image-gallery__description__summary\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bowman (far right) served on a panel at the Virginia Association of Museums Conference in Williamsburg.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description\" js-description>\n                                                                        <div class=\"image-gallery__description__summary\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bowman (right) poses with friends while volunteering as a statistician for the UMW women&rsquo;s volleyball team. <\/figcaption><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description\" js-description>\n                                                                        <div class=\"image-gallery__description__summary\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bowman visited Williamsburg for the Virginia Association of Museums Conference where she was a panelist discussing archival collections.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description\" js-description>\n                                                                        <div class=\"image-gallery__description__summary\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As a student aide in UMW&rsquo;s Archaeology Laboratory and Simpson Library Special Collections and University Archives, Bowman co-curated an exhibit detailing the century-long history of Devil-Goat Day.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-gallery__description\" js-description>\n                                                                        <div class=\"image-gallery__description__summary\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bowman (right) helps host a Get Dirty, Go Wash Artifact Night where students &ndash; regardless of major &ndash; can gain experience washing artifacts in the lab while watching an archaeology-related film.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section><p>But all this work isn&rsquo;t just for her. Bowman&rsquo;s true hope is to dust off underrepresented stories and hold them up to the light, for all to see.<\/p><p>&ldquo;History doesn&rsquo;t just live in the past &mdash; it lives in the people who preserve, interpret and share it,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the work I enjoy doing, and thanks to my time at UMW, I know I&rsquo;m ready to do it.&rdquo;<\/p><p><em>Makayla Bowman received the Cora Lee Kaufman Scholarship, Mary Siegrist Hinz &rsquo;81 Leadership Award and the Dovetail Cultural Resource Group Scholarship for History Preservation.<\/em><\/p><p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>byWhen her family moved to Northern Virginia, University of Mary Washington Honors student Makayla Bowman spent many a weekend exploring the Smithsonian museums in nearby Washington, D.C. The quiet power of those spaces &ndash; even at the age of seven &ndash; stirred something inside her.&ldquo;After those magical museum visits,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I knew I didn&rsquo;t [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5200,"featured_media":110260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[704],"tags":[708,15651,15660,15380,15661],"topics":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-110254","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-stories","8":"tag-commencement","9":"tag-commencement-2026","10":"tag-senior-spotlight-2026","11":"tag-senior-stories","12":"tag-senior-story-2026","13":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Museum \u2018Magic\u2019 Fuels UMW Student\u2019s Career in Curation - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/05\/museum-magic-fuels-umw-students-career-in-curation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Museum \u2018Magic\u2019 Fuels UMW Student\u2019s Career in Curation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"byWhen her family moved to Northern Virginia, University of Mary Washington Honors student Makayla Bowman spent many a weekend exploring the Smithsonian museums in nearby Washington, D.C. The quiet power of those spaces &ndash; even at the age of seven &ndash; stirred something inside her.&ldquo;After those magical museum visits,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I knew I didn&rsquo;t [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/05\/museum-magic-fuels-umw-students-career-in-curation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UniversityofMaryWashington\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-05T15:53:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-06T16:13:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/NewRelease_SeniorStory1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"413\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarah Hertz Mahoney\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UMaryWash\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UMaryWash\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sarah Hertz Mahoney\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/05\\\/museum-magic-fuels-umw-students-career-in-curation\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/05\\\/museum-magic-fuels-umw-students-career-in-curation\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sarah Hertz Mahoney\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ca489a61d7afe14e7dc34df87cbafec2\"},\"headline\":\"Museum \u2018Magic\u2019 Fuels UMW Student\u2019s Career in Curation\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-05T15:53:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-06T16:13:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/05\\\/museum-magic-fuels-umw-students-career-in-curation\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":724,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/05\\\/museum-magic-fuels-umw-students-career-in-curation\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/NewRelease_SeniorStory1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Commencement\",\"Commencement 2026\",\"senior spotlight 2026\",\"Senior Stories\",\"senior story 2026\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Top Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/05\\\/museum-magic-fuels-umw-students-career-in-curation\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/05\\\/museum-magic-fuels-umw-students-career-in-curation\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/05\\\/museum-magic-fuels-umw-students-career-in-curation\\\/\",\"name\":\"Museum \u2018Magic\u2019 Fuels UMW Student\u2019s Career in Curation - 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