Kirsten Notley

MA Student

Kirsten Notley is an MA Student in American Studies with a Concentration in Museum and Material Culture at The George Washington University, starting in Autumn 2023. As you can tell by the use of the word autumn, she is an international student from the UK, completing her undergraduate BA in American Studies with a Year Abroad from the University of Leicester back home in the UK, graduating in 2023. She undertook a year abroad in 2021/22 at the University of Southern Maine and loved it so much that she decided to return to the US for her MA. She is thoroughly enjoying her time at GW, which includes working part-time at the Special Collections Research Center on campus, as well as being part of GW's archery club. In her spare time, she can be found in museums, calling friends and family back home (time difference dependent), or getting excited by any mention of the Kennedys, particularly Jacqueline Kennedy, having written her undergraduate dissertation, and her Masters' thesis on her.

Student Spotlight

Why American Studies and why GW?

I have always loved history but as I got older, I found that American History interested me the most. Along with my love of politics, American Studies allowed me to study both things at once, alongside literature and film as well. Despite having to explain to everyone what American Studies is, I still love the degree I chose and would choose it again in a heartbeat. GW stood out to me, as it was the only place I could find that merged American Studies and Museum Studies in a way that appealed to me - alongside being in DC and the Smithsonian (my dream workplace!), it all just felt right.

Where is your favorite place in the world?

I know it sounds cliche but it has to be DC. Having visited 4 times before but only for a few days at a time, it is amazing how quickly you can fall in love with a place, and I can't wait to call it 'home'.

Is there one book/piece of media that inspired you to pursue the field of American Studies? If so, which one and why?

The Zapruder Film - when I was 13, we studied the Kennedy assassination at school, as I was from the UK, I hadn't really heard of President Kennedy and didn't know anything about him. I remember all my classmates loving the blood and gore in the film, but I was interested in who he was, who the woman beside him was, and what happened before, and after that one moment in time. My research into this one topic we studied at school began me on a path that I have been following for 10 years now. Studying the Kennedys made me want to learn more about American History and Politics in general, and that's how I've ended up where I am today!

If you were stuck on an island and could bring only three things, what would they be and why?

My glasses - without them, I would stand absolutely no chance!!
My Kindle - so I could have endless reading possibilities
My Polaroid camera - so that one day someone could see what I got up to!