Interview
Weekend!
CGP Students
Melissa Olsen
Project Director
First Year
Hometown: San Diego, California
Why she chose CGP: The high level of commitment from the professors. They really do want to see you do your best, and they work really hard to provide you with a rewarding and enriching experience. Also, the people. There is no better group of folks!
Fun Facts: 1) I used to watch Blink-182 play in their garage, in San Diego, before they were famous.
2) I once had to hold the mouth of a six foot pelican open to feed it. It took three of us!
Sammy Smithson
Project Director
First Year
Hometown: Redfield, Iowa
Why she chose CGP: I chose CGP because of the support offered by the faculty and fellow students. They will do all that is in their power to help you achieve your goals!
Fun Facts: 1) My life was changed when I was introduced to Stewart's ice cream. I now eat ridiculous amounts of it... 2) I make it my duty to know all of the latest celebrity gossip.
Alex Sniffen
Logistics
First Year
Hometown: Plano, Texas
Why he chose CGP: Well, interview weekend made a great impression on me! I loved getting to meet with the faculty, and their overwhelming knowledge about the field was incredible. However, after learning about the amazing things that CGP students have done and get to do during their time in school and the practical experiences that the faculty strive to create for us, I knew that there was only one real museum studies program in the U.S, and I had to attend. Put simply, it's the best.
Fun Facts: 1) I'm an Open Water SCUBA Diver. 2) I own a bust of Superman.
Caitlin McCaffrey
Hospitality
First Year
Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
Why she chose CGP: I liked the small class size and how students could really get to know the professors. I also liked that so many students found jobs after graduation.
Fun Facts: 1) My family raised raccoons when I was growing up. 2) I've lived in four states: Colorado, Arizona, North Carolina, and New York.
Carly Faison
Fundraising and Donations
First Year
Hometown: Western Springs, Illinois
Why she chose CGP: I chose CGP because I thought that the faculty and classmates seemed extraordinarily supportive of each other, and I was right!
Fun Facts: 1) I was on TV this year (....for three seconds because I sat in the audience at the Steve Harvey Show.) 2) I played steel drums for a year at my church. I was terrible and remember nothing.
Emily Conner
Hospitality
First Year
Hometown: Frederick, Maryland
Why she chose CGP: In my opinion, after heavily researching this program and others across the country, this is the best program in the nation for Museum Studies. The sense of community, hands-on learning and alumni network is matched nowhere else. It's simply the best!
Fun Facts: 1) I have twin cats named Rocky and Sophia. At one time in my adult life I owned 4 cats. I would be known as CGP class of 2016's Crazy Cat Lady...except I love dogs too much! 2) During my undergraduate career at Shepherd University, I had a weekly 2-hour radio show with my best friend, Julie. It was called The Bonnie & Bonnie Show.
Emily Koehler-Platten
Logistics
First Year
Hometown: Fairbanks, Alaska
Why she chose CGP: CGP is a very practical and hands-on program, and I like the small class sizes and small-town atmosphere.
Fun Facts: 1) I got married at a zoo. 2) I lived in Japan for three years.
Falicia Eddy
Food and Beverage
First Year
Hometown: Smyrna, New York
Why she chose CGP: I decided that I wanted to learn about education in a non-traditional setting. I would love to be museum educator in a museum that is engaging, encourages diversity dialogue, and has a strong community outreach program.
Fun Facts: 1) I am a crazy dancer! I love hanging out with my classmates and dancing! 2) I enjoy listening to music from the 1970's and 80's. I like classic rock.
Kim McCleary
Logistics
First Year
Hometown: Winnsboro, Texas
Why she chose CGP: My choice was simple. CGP is the best general museum studies program out there, and takes diversity to heart.
Fun Facts: 1) My business card collection is out the wazoo, so ask to see my collection...it's a killer! 2) I love Domo!
Kimberly Rose
Food and Beverage
First Year
Hometown: Owego, New York
Why she chose CGP: I chose CGP because it provides practical skills and is very affordable.
Fun Facts: 1) I love spring! Don't let winter weather fool you, Upstate NY is a beautiful place. When spring comes the birds return, the trees bloom, and the world comes alive! 2) One of my favorite ways to spend time with friends and family is to play board games. My current favorite is 7 Wonders.
Kwasi Agyemang
Fundraising and Donations
First Year
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Why he chose CGP: Great faculty, beautiful town and the home of the Institute of Cultural Entrepreneurship.
Fun Facts: 1) I'm a recovering Wikipedia-addict. 2) I've climbed the Great Wall of China.
Lynds Jones
Special Projects
First Year
Hometown: Gloucester, Massachusetts
Why he chose CGP: Because it’s a place that supports my passion.
Fun Facts: 1) I've played a small town mayor, an evil Knight, and a crazed stage manager. 2) I know how to breathe fire.
Matthew Wagner
Special Projects
First Year
Hometown: Montville, New Jersey
Why he chose CGP: My undergraduate program director recommended CGP to me as I was looking for a generalist museum program. While attending Interview Weekend, I felt like I was home. Everyone was extremely supportive and ambitious. The program has many connections in the immediate area. I could not believe the things students did here (this program is very hands-on). Cooperstown itself is a beautiful town and the people really make it amazing. I have not once regretted my choice to be here.
Fun Facts: 1) I spent 7 months working with Ancestry.com, digitizing records. In the end, I scanned over 2000 images a day! 2) After moving to VA as a child, I developed an obsession with jam. Thanks to that, I tend to frequent farmer's markets. The one in Cooperstown is amazing and has so many great things minus red pepper jam.
Meghan Gewerth
Special Projects
First Year
Hometown: Camarillo, California
Why she chose CGP: The program was attractive to me because I didn’t have to choose a specialty right away. I also liked the small class sizes and how closely you worked with faculty. Interview Weekend was really helpful to me because I got to see the program, meet professors, and see Cooperstown. Coming from California, it was important to me to see what the town was like during the winter.
Fun Facts: 1) I majored in archaeology in undergrad, and did digs in Peru and England.
2) I have an identical twin sister who is three inches taller than me!
Miranda Pettengill
Hospitality
First Year
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Why she chose CGP: I came to Interview Weekend because I liked CGP's generalist approach and its focus on practical skills. I knew it was the place for me when I met the amazing students, faculty, staff, and alumni that would come to shape my experience here.
Fun Facts: 1) I play fiddle and banjo. 2) I spent every summer from fifth to eleventh grade at a French camp in the middle of the Minnesota woods.
Noah Levinson
Food and Beverage
First Year
Hometown: Huntington Woods, Michigan
Why he chose CGP: I like the generalized curriculum, the strong alumni network and the close-knit community environment.
Fun Facts: 1) I can play any Billy Joel song on the piano. 2) If it were socially acceptable and financially feasible, I would eat three meals a day at the Cooperstown Diner.
Olivia Khristan
Fundraising and Donations
First Year
Hometown: Sloatsburg, New York
Why she chose CGP: I chose CGP because of the amazing faculty and unparalleled opportunities that CGP offers its students.
Fun Facts: 1) I have driven a Ford Model T. 2) I quote a lot of Parks and Recreation. Treat Yo Self.
Ryan Mitten
Food and Beverage
First Year
Hometown: Yorktown Heights NY
Why he chose CGP: Location and connections
Fun Facts: 1) I am a Weird Al enthusiast. 2) I am a cellist.
Sarah DaCorta
Hospitality
First Year
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Why she chose CGP: I chose CGP because it is a very prestigious program, it is fun, and I needed to find a way to use my art history degree.
Fun Facts: 1) I listen to ocean sounds on Spotify. 2) My favorite food is lahvosh (a type of pizza).
Tori Lee
Logistics
First Year
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Why she chose CGP: Comprehensive curriculum, hands-on projects, fantastic alumni network, Gretchen Sorin
Fun Facts: 1) I spent one whole summer looking at an ancient pelvis. 2) I cross stitch rap lyrics.
Alex Dubois
Second Year
Hometown: Cranston, Rhode Island
Why he chose CGP: The hands-on training, alumni network, and job placement rate for graduates convinced me to come for Interview Weekend. Meeting the faculty, staff, and students here convinced me to come back.
Fun Facts: 1) I try to fashion my lifestyle after a James Bond novel. 2) My perfect afternoon would include trips to both the zoo and the local antiques mall.
Amanda Magera
Second Year
Hometown: Texas
Why she chose CGP: It's both generalist and hands-on, so I can learn everything!
Fun Facts: 1) New York is the fourth state I've lived in and my sixth move in the last six years. 2) I have been accused of having both a Northern and a Southern accent, and I will occasionally randomly break into a British accent (I blame the BBC and a summer abroad).
Araya Henry
Second Year
Hometown: Bronx, New York
Why she chose CGP: I came to the Cooperstown Graduate Program because it is a very unique program. I wanted graduate level experience that was heavily hands on, where you have a close relationship with professors, and in a location I was familiar with. I went to SUNY Oneonta for undergrad and this program was highly recommended to me from both professors and administrators.
Fun Facts: 1) I have an identical twin sister. 2) I grew up in the Caribbean.
Christine Luthy
Second Year
Hometown: Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Why she chose CGP: I love the holistic, comprehensive approach to the museum field that the Cooperstown Graduate Program takes. CGP not only focuses on museum institutions themselves, but the communities they serve. I knew that CGP would provide me with a well-rounded education which would allow me to pursue my two passions--people and museums.
Fun Facts: 1) I have been bobsledding on two Olympic tracks! 2) Going to Iceland is next on my bucket list!
Cyndi Tolosa
Second Year
Hometown: Bloomfield, Connecticut
Why she chose CGP: After meeting the current students and alumni during my Interview Weekend, I fell in love with the people I would be working with. The generalist nature of the program and the hands-on projects give great experience to take with me to my future career, and have really convinced me that this is the best place for me.
Fun Facts: 1) I'm a huge animal lover who has owned or cared for just about every pet under the sun! 2) I've been a vegetarian for nine years.
Drew Radtke
Second Year
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
Why he chose CGP: Museums have always been a big part of my life. CGP offers a great opportunity to learn about where museums have been and where they can go in the future.
Fun Facts: 1) I love hockey. 2) I also love bluegrass music. But, mostly hockey.
Emily Hoffman
Second Year
Hometown: Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Why she chose CGP: I chose CGP because of the hands-on nature of the program and the chance to work with real museums. CGP offered a wholistic approach that I felt would truly prepare me for a job and inspire me to do great things. The killer alumni network was also a great sell. #cgpmafia
Fun Facts: 1) The defining moment of my life was when Jason DeRulo told me he liked my dress. *swoon* 2) Idris Elba is my celebrity crush. 3) Christine and I accidentally got locked in the Cooperstown town hall and we had to escape through the police station. 4) Rap music and dancing are my faves.
Fred Gold
Second Year
Hometown: Belfair, Washington
Why he chose CGP: The alumni network and job placement rates are incredible. I also fell in love with Cooperstown and the people I met during Interview Weekend last year. CGP is a very close-knit community, and I wanted to be a part of it.
Fun Facts: 1) I absolutely adore '80s heavy metal and glam metal. It's not the only music I listen to, but it's certainly among my favorites. 2) I worked in a monastery in Basque country for a month in 2012. We were excavating a Roman settlement and a medeival cemetery outside a millenium-old church. It is one of the highlights of my entire life.
Jeanette Sanchez
Second Year
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Why she chose CGP: I wasn't sure what I wanted to specialize in when I first came to CGP. I liked that it is a generalist program and that I have opportunities to take classes in various areas. Now, in my second year, I have a strong focus and interest in Education, Public Programming, and Community Outreach.
Fun Facts: 1) I love old movies. 2) I am currently making plans of World Domination with Brian Alexander.
Keith Sten
Second Year
Hometown: Macungie, Pennsylvania
Why he chose CGP: I heard about CGP's strong alumni network. I also valued the ability to learn useful information in all aspects of the museum field, rather than just focusing on collections or education.
Fun Facts: 1) I am the first born of five children. 2) I have an undergraduate minor in Cognitive Psychology (for whatever that's worth).
Kirsten Swartz
Second Year
Hometown: Skaneateles, New York
Why she chose CGP: I chose CGP because I was blown away by interview weekend. I love CGP because it introduced me to a bright, supportive, intellectually diverse family of classmates and faculty.
Fun Facts: 1) I'm really good at French braids 2) I play Ultimate Frisbee.
Megan Culbert
Second Year
Hometown: East Springfield, New York
Why she chose CGP: I chose CGP for its great reputation in the museum field, its fantastic network of alumni, its hands-on approach to museum studies, and its job placement rate.
Fun Facts: 1) I have a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and I love to sing and listen to all types of music. 2) I like warm weather.
Rick Kriebel
Second Year
Hometown: Thornton, Pennsylvania
Why he chose CGP: The job placement rate is very high. I also like the institutional values, the possibility of doing folk studies, the hands-on experience, and the helpful faculty & staff.
Fun Facts: 1) I tend to take walks in strange weather. 2) I have an unnatural obsession with cats. It did not start with the internet. It's an abnormal story.
Stephenie Walker
Second Year
Hometown: Mine was a military family, but I moved to Cooperstown from Waynesville, Missouri.
Why she chose CGP: I came to CGP because everything about the program read like museum studies boot camp. I wanted to get deep in the trenches with my museum education, and CGP promised hands on experience. Other museum studies programs seemed to emphasize theory or emphasize specialization on one skill. I wanted to learn it all!
Fun Facts: 1) Video games! Right now I’m playing Pokemon Y and I recently finished Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm. 2) I’m also a registered member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.