From the hidden stories of historical sites to the untold tales of my local community, my passion for history runs deep, driving me to uncover and share the fascinating narratives that have shaped our world. Growing up, I attended summer camps at my local state park with environmentally-focused programs; however, the part of the park I truly fell in love with was Fort Miles. The WWII base used to span the entire park, evident now only by the sand-colored watchtowers littering the horizon and old brick and concrete sticking out of the sand. The fort is a small part of the park with preserved guns, mess halls, and an underground battery that recently became a museum. I had the privilege of watching the preservation of the monuments surrounding me take place in real time. When I first entered the underground Battery 519 as a camper, we played Manhunt in the empty rooms, but now those rooms are filled with artifacts from the community and historians. Standing in Battery 519, surrounded by the history that shaped the ground I stood on, I felt at home. As I evolved with the world around me, I realized that history was much more complicated than I had initially accepted. There was so much I was missing in my education. I wanted to know more than what I was retaining; I wanted to learn about the Native Americans who cultivated land long before English settlers, about the artists who created masterpieces standing the test of time, and about the everyday people who lived during the times of the historical figures I knew well. So, I started to seek out those stories. My local historical society taught me about the people who had walked my streets ahead of me. In the graveyard, I dug up the stories of the people buried at my feet. From their small publications, I found the name of the cat who likes to knock over books at my job. These historic personal stories, with modern personal connections, were much more impactful and, to me, more valuable than the general history I learned in school. My newfound knowledge made me feel that every step I took along the street was purposeful. I feel connected with the people who came before me; their stories sit within me as I pave my way through an ever-changing world. Inspired by the people telling the stories of the past at my local historical society and the Fort Miles museum, my life goal is to tell the untold stories of the people who shaped our communities and society. As a future museum curator, I hope to do this through the medium of objects. Objects like Battery 519 are a tangible way for people to approach history. Objects engage your mind more creatively than just information absorption; they create multiple connections to the story told through the object. Objects create an impression of the information they represent. A coat with meticulous embroidery and hand-stitching represents the craftsmanship of tailors in a way that a sentence could never convey on its own. History needs objects to create an impression that shapes the way the public interacts with the world and the history that surrounds them. I am determined to become a museum curator by using the medium of objects to bring history to life, creating connections and consciousness, and continuing to preserve our rich and diverse untold history for future generations.