Jenny McMillen Sweeney ('05, MA, Public History with a Certificate of Archival Administration)

This interview is with Ms. Jenny McMillen Sweeney, a graduate of the UTA History program.

Tell us about yourself.  
I have worked for the National Archives at Fort Worth for the past 16 years, first as an Education Specialist and now as an Archivist.  In my spare time I enjoy traveling with my family, watching my daughter play soccer, reading, scrapbooking, and cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. 

Any special memories about being a student at UTA?  
The faculty in the History Department made my graduate school experience fantastic!  From my very first graduate class with Dr. Robert Fairbanks to the many courses I had with Dr. Gerald Saxon, every class was challenging and allowed me to grow and learn.  One of my favorite memories was during my Capstone oral examination where the professors who were on my committee (Dr. Gerald Saxon, Dr. Stephanie Cole, and Dr. Elisabeth Cawthon) realized they had never before served on a student capstone committee together!  My wide range of historical interests brought them together in this capacity and it was such a rewarding experience for me.  They were able to learn what I was studying in the others’ area of expertise.   

Why did you choose your major or field of study? 
I have always been interested in history, and the opportunity to work with history every day as an archivist seemed like a perfect fit for me. 

Did you receive a scholarship while at UTA? How did it help you? 
I received the Dean’s Excellence Award for Graduate Research Travel for the summer of 2005.  This award allowed me to travel to Cooperstown, New York to participate in The Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Youth Leadership at the Baseball Hall of Fame.  As a graduate student my funds were limited.  I needed to move to New York for the summer to participate in the internship.  The award allowed me to make that truly once in a lifetime experience happen! 

How has your Liberal Arts education helped get you where you are today? 
Although I intended to work in the archives field, I took a bit of a different path to the field than most. I took a detour through Major League Baseball.  Prior to working at the National Archives I worked for the Texas Rangers as the Education and Tour Programs Manager at the Legends of the Game Baseball Museum at the Ballpark in Arlington. Although the position was still in the field of history, I really missed working with documents.  Documents are what tell the stories of history and that is what I wanted to share.  The history courses I took gave me a broad understanding of the historical context within which records are created and the archival courses gave me a sound understanding of archival theory and practice.  The internship requirement gave me a positive hands-on experience in the archival field.  But, at the end of the day, the Liberal Arts education has allowed me to become a well-rounded person who is able to think critically and communicate effectively.     

What drew you to your industry, and what has kept you there? 
The opportunity to work with historical documents and to preserve history for future generations is what has really drawn me to the archival field.  As an Archivist for the National Archives I feel good knowing that I am helping to preserve our nation’s history.  I really wouldn’t want to do anything else! 

What can graduating Liberal Arts students do to make themselves more marketable? 
The best advice I can give to graduating Liberal Arts students is to make sure to always work HARD and to learn from every job or position they are in because those skills can only bolster their resume and help in the future. 

What do you wish you knew when you were a Liberal Arts student at UTA? 
Oh gosh, I would say…DON’T sweat the small stuff! 

If you are a College of Liberal Arts alum, please let us know by emailing liberalarts@uta.edu.