Today we’d like to introduce you to Shae Nawoj.
Hi Shae , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up, I was fortunate to have a mom who taught Texas history and instilled that love of history in me. Once I found out that a history degree could lead to working in museums, I made up my mind to make that passion into a career. I pursued my classroom education at Sam Houston State (go Bearkats!) and the University of Maryland Baltimore County (go Retrievers!), while taking every museum internship opportunity available to me.
All of that gave me the experience I needed to get my first “big girl job” in museums which eventually led me to this magnificent, unicorn job as Assistant Historic Site Supervisor at Log Cabin Village.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
If anyone knows where the smooth roads in life are, please let me know! It definitely wasn’t always a smooth road, although I do have to acknowledge my privileges as a white, cis woman has made this an easier journey than some of my colleagues have experienced. The museum field is notoriously difficult to break into because there are so few jobs (especially well-paying ones) and the competition for those jobs can be really rough. I’ve been fortunate to have incredible mentors who helped me along the bumpy bits like consoling me when I didn’t get the 60th job I applied for and encouraging me to continue trying to find ways to use my skills.
I think we can all agree that the last two years working in a global pandemic has been its own special kind of struggle. There were definitely some really dark days, especially at the beginning of the pandemic, when we couldn’t see how we could continue to take care of our folks and serve our communities. Luckily, I work with a creative, passionate team and together we were able to come up with new ways to engage our audiences like using individual Time Traveler bags to keep hands-on components available, short history videos on YouTube, and virtual field trips for those who couldn’t safely make it to the Village. As we all know, 2021 has presented its own challenges, but having this incredible team has made it easier to navigate.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m am so lucky to work with the most amazing group of living historians here at Log Cabin Village. At the Village, we educate the public through the collection, preservation, and interpretation of artifacts, representative structures, and other items of social and cultural significance to Texas’ pioneer era (1840-1890). While I’m our behind-the-scenes person who plans educational programming and cares for artifacts, we have an incredible team of living historians who amaze me daily with their skill in engaging folks in discussions about life in 19th-century Texas. They’re the ones who really set us apart; they provide hands-on experiences that help people better understand the lives of our ancestors all while making people feel at home.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Oh, I think it’s pretty clear I was a nerd! I was shy and pretty quiet. We moved around a lot when I was a kid, so being shy meant I spent a lot of time in new places reading anything I could get my hands on. I loved historical fiction and fantasy which I really think has shaped the way I see the world today. I loved school and gravitated to those who had similar ambitions to continue their education aka the nerdy, weird kids.
Pricing:
- Adults (age 18-59): $7
- Adults (age 60+): $6
- Youth (age 4-17): $6; (age 3 and under): Free
- Groups of 10 or more: $5
Contact Info:
- Email: logcabinvillage@fortworthtexas.gov
- Website: https://www.logcabinvillage.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/logcabinvillage/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/logcabinvillage
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/logcabinvillage
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPoh2ayJYZm1B6N3rUUwvtA
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/log-cabin-village-fort-worth
Image Credits
City of Fort Worth’s Log Cabin Village
