Katelyn Karner said growing up with a father who was a social studies teacher meant many of her childhood vacations consisted of visiting museums and historical sites. One of her favorite memories was accompanying his eighth grade class on an annual trip to Washington, D.C.
“It was instilled in me from a young age that what happened in the past is important and helps us learn and prepare for the future,” Karner said.
One of the reasons she chose to attend George Washington University was to be in the heart of D.C.
“I feel like studying American history when the Library of Congress and the National Archives are at your fingertips, it just makes researching so much more exciting,” Karner said. “And it's just nice to be surrounded by the memorials, monuments and the many museums, which are free and accessible. The way that it lined up was just perfect. Being in D.C. and doing something that I love.”
Karner will graduate in May and has a job lined up as a genealogist at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
In her role, she will review applications from individuals seeking to join DAR, which requires lineage that connects to someone from the American Revolution who meets the DAR's criteria for being a patriot. This includes having served in the military or contributed in other ways to the revolutionary cause, such as working for local councils or similar services.
Applicants submit forms along with supporting documents like birth certificates, which Karner will examine. If any part of an application doesn't meet DAR standards, Karner will help guide applicants by suggesting sources or providing advice on how to properly document and present their information to meet the necessary criteria.
“This job just seemed like something that was right up my alley. I’ve done a lot of work in genealogy previously, so I was already interested in this area,” Karner said. “It just brings me a lot of joy to help connect people with the past, teach people new things and realize that we are a lot more connected than we might have originally thought.”
Karner said one of the first times she learned about what DAR does was while watching an episode of her favorite show, “Gilmore Girls.”
Then last year, she represented Illinois in the Cherry Blossom Princess Program hosted by the National Conference of State Societies. One of the highlights of that experience was visiting the DAR building near the White House, where she had a chance to learn more about the organization's mission and programs.
Karner initially applied to work as a genealogist at DAR in the fall but did not hear back about her application.
“Come spring semester, I was just like, it wouldn’t hurt to circle back,” Karner said. “The position is still up, so nothing bad would come out of me reaching back out again and asking to be reconsidered. You never know.”
After sending a follow-up email, Karner received a request to interview for the position and she was eventually hired.
She credits the one-of-a-kind experiences she had at GW for leading her to this opportunity.
She pointed to the many professors and history classes that left a lasting impression on her, including the course, The Price of Freedom: Normandy, 1944, which was taught by Thomas Long, emeritus professor of history at the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.
“It changed how I think about local history and connecting yourself to your smaller community,” Karner said. “That is so much of what the DAR does, and I was able to talk about that in my interview and I feel like my passion for local history and genealogy came through.”
Karner also worked closely with Career Services in preparation for her job search, attending resume and cover letter workshops as well as getting advice on how to interview.
“Meeting with the people at Career Services one-on-one was so helpful because they get to know you a little bit better and having that rapport and personal connection made the process of searching for a job easier,” Karner said. “Having a designated person you can go to for your job search relieves some of the stress of it all.”
Karner’s biggest advice to students as they search for jobs or internships is to look for opportunities that align with their passions and to be persistent.
