Grace Myers – Alumna Spotlight
Communications Specialist, Khoros
Hometown: Austin, TX
BA Anthropology, minors in English, Chemistry (2015)
MA in Anthropology (2017)
LinkedIn
“My interest in culture began very young. I interacted with many different kinds of people in high school, and was obsessed with the TV show Bones. Then, I did better in my first college anthro course with Dr. Robbie Ethridge than the ones in my major. It really made me think and push myself to learn more. And, I liked the cultural side of anthro more than the dirt side. I love people and culture—what makes people think and act the way they do.”
Myers was an organizer of The Big Event, an orientation leader, and president of the Residential Housing Association. Within the department, she was involved in the Holly Springs Craft House project where she consulted archival documentation to find contextual evidence of antebellum daily life at an urban slave dwelling. She dug for artifacts to give clues about the daily habits and foodways of the slaves who lived behind the Hugh Craft House, and gave presentations to school groups as part of the Behind the Big House tour in Marshall County. Myers also earned her MA in anthropology at UM with a thesis about food and immigration at a pop-up food market in an urban business park in Dublin, Ireland.
Her career plans included marketing and business development because “the skills gained in my graduate program are easily applicable across many fields.” Since graduation, she has been a Special Projects Coordinator with Miller Imaging & Digital Solutions, Marketing Coordinator and then Marketing Communications Specialist with SAM Companies. She is now Communications Specialist with Khoros, where she creates digital content and campaigns. She asserts that she uses her unique obseration and analytical/critical thinking skills as a trained cultural anthropologist at her company.
Why study anthropology at UM? “The department – anthropology and sociology together – is unique because of the professors and the curriculum. Additionally, all areas of anthropology are celebrated by the professors. They have the knowledge and experience to guide students from the beginning of their college career to graduation and beyond. Their care and attention is incredible.”