Every time I tell someone that I’m a public history student, I get the same reaction — a raised eyebrow, a polite smile or an inevitable follow-up question: “What is that?”

After five years at UW-Eau Claire, I’ve gotten used to the puzzled looks. Public history isn’t a major you hear about every day, but it is becoming a major that is increasingly relevant in the world we live in.

So, what is it?

Public history is the study of history and how it is shared with the public. It is about understanding the past, yes — but also about interpreting it, preserving it and finding ways to make it meaningful and digestible for people today. 

For me, it shows how history lives in museums, historic sites, documentaries and even in social media.

I like to think of us as the bridge between academic history and everyday audiences.  

It is a constant interpretive practice — one that is often interdisciplinary. 

In my public history research over the summer, I was constantly switching what I was looking at.

One week I was reading academic journals and monographs. The next week, I was at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument listening to a park ranger talk about how they are working on highlighting Indigenous voices at the site.

Public history draws on everything — anthropology, art, sociology, literature, environmental studies, American Indian studies and plenty more.

What makes my major so interesting to me is that it isn’t just about facts or dates — it’s about dialogue. 
It’s about who gets to tell the story, whose voices are heard and how our understanding of the past shapes the present.

A lot of people are surprised to learn about the different career opportunities that come with a public history degree. 

I can go on to work in a museum, in historic preservation, archives, education, government, tourism, the film industry and much, much more. Basically, anywhere there is a story to tell or a past to preserve, a public historian can be found.

This semester, I have been lucky enough to see what this looks like outside of the classroom. I am currently an intern at the UW-Eau Claire Archives, where I am learning every day about preserving the past.

Most days, I am looking through the current collection that I am appraising, which means I get to look through many old photographs, newsletters and scrapbooks.  

On top of that, I also work at the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire, where public history takes a completely different form than it does in the archives. 

At the Children’s Museum, learning is more than simply reading — it’s an experience.  

As I get ready to graduate this semester, I have been reflecting on what drew me to this field in the first place. 

I have always loved history, but I didn’t want to just study it — I wanted to use it. I wanted to make it accessible and engaging.

I want to show people that the past isn’t just something that happened, but it is something that still shapes how we live and think. 

Public history at its core is about connection. It’s about reminding people that history belongs to everyone, not just the experts.

Stephenson can be reached at [email protected].