Hello, I am Lauren! I grew up in Fredericksburg, Virginia which made it immensely difficult for me to not become fully interested in various eras of American history. I have never become exhausted of learning about history, in fact, my time at the University of Mary Washington has only made me more eager to study the subject. The areas of American history that I am most passionate about are the colonial period through the mid twentieth century. I have found through taking a class on local history that my true passion for history lies within studying and serving my local community. This combined with my favorite aspect of studying history being working hands on with primary source material has led me to become especially interested in archival work. Therefore, after I complete my bachelor’s in history at the University of Mary Washington I plan to find a position as a local archivist in my hometown of Fredericksburg. My hope is that through studying local history and engaging in archival work I will be able to spread my love of Fredericksburg and its surrounding counties to those in my community for years to come.