Intern Reflection: What I learned at the Georgia Association of Museums Conference

At Georgia Humanities, we’re proud to support the next generation of humanities professionals by providing opportunities to learn, connect, and grow. This year, we sponsored our interns’ attendance at the Georgia Association of Museums (GAM) conference in Milledgeville. Hayleigh Sebaugh, a Georgia Humanities intern and public history graduate student at the University of West Georgia, shares her reflections on the experience below.

By Hayleigh Sebaugh

Opportunities

I was given the opportunity by Georgia Humanities to attend the annual GAM conference in Milledgeville in February. After the conference, a professor of mine asked me to describe my time at GAM in three words. The best way I could describe my experience was engaging, insightful, and motivating. 

I attended as many sessions as I could, each time walking away with more confidence in the professional skills I was learning. As a student, it’s easy to forget how much learning goes on outside the traditional classroom, and GAM highlighted that perfectly. Whether in between sessions, grabbing coffee, or waiting for the shuttle, I kept finding myself engaged in conversations with museum professionals I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet otherwise. Overall, GAM allowed me to make connections in the field while providing a space to learn, share resources, and collaborate. 

Expert Insight

While attending the conference, I had the opportunity to hear Matthew Davis speak at the Keynote Luncheon. His insights into the museum profession and the impact museums have on their communities were especially meaningful. As an emerging professional, it was refreshing to hear someone speak so openly about the field. As a graduate student, I am always looking for ways to add new tools to my professional toolkit—whether through advice from established professionals or hands-on learning. The GAM conference provided that opportunity through its sessions, workshops, and tours, each offering valuable perspectives on the field. One particularly impactful session was “Once Upon a Grant: Storytelling in Grant Proposals,” led by Jerald Crook, Georgia Humanities’ Grants Coordinator. Learning about the different types of grants that make so many museum programs possible was eye-opening, and the workshop reinforced how storytelling is a crucial element in securing support for projects.

Walking Through History

While touring the Old Governor’s Mansion, I had the chance to walk through its historic rooms and take in just how much history the space holds. Moving from the men’s and women’s parlors to the dining room and into the strategically arranged office, it was easy to imagine the people who once lived and worked there. Knowing that the mansion served as Sherman’s headquarters during the Civil War made the history even more striking. Upstairs, one of the bedrooms was set with children’s toys, tea sets, and dolls, arranged so naturally that it almost felt like someone had just stepped out of the room. The way the space was put together made it easy to picture what life might have been like within those walls. 

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Hayleigh Sebaugh has a bachelor’s degree in history from LaGrange College and is pursuing a master’s degree in public history at the University of West Georgia. She is an intern with Georgia Humanities and the National History Day Georgia program.