Annalise Ashman '24

Entering her freshman year at Bryn Mawr, Annalise (pictured center) knew that her interests revolved around art history, what she didn’t know was what college during a global pandemic would look like.  Once on campus, she was surprised to find herself as connected to the College community as she had hoped, something she didn’t see happening across her friends’ colleges. She explains, “Bryn Mawr did a uniquely great job building community in our first-year despite the challenges with COVID. We had our hall groups and our bubbles of contacts.” The Pandemic could not hinder her ties to the community, and her academic exploration soared as well. Annalise eventually landed on what she calls an “academic trifecta,” double-majoring in Art History and Anthropology, with a minor in Museum Studies.  

Originally from Tyrone, Georgia, Annalise knew she wanted to attend a liberal arts college where she would be encouraged to explore her many academic interests. Early on, when she was still creating her path, professors helped her make connections between these interests. Instead of a freshman year limited by the effects of COVID, she says, "My first year was spent exploring different classes and talking to professors outside of art history. I wanted to write about art in some way, even in unrelated classes, and I was never shut down for that. Professors here are excited to see what you’re excited about.”  It is a profoundly liberal arts concept to connect seemingly disparate fields of study, but Bryn Mawr added another connective layer to Annalise’s journey: the collaboration between colleges. While she gained a foundation of anthropology from Bryn Mawr, her focus on cultural anthropology led her to major at Haverford, in what she describes as a surprisingly seamless transition, “I was shocked by how easy it is to move across the colleges, to take what I’m learning at both institutions and use all of the resources.” For Annalise, the connections between her academic interests and campuses came together to weave what she describes as a “web of community and connections,” all of which she says will continue post-graduation. In her words, “These are connections that will be there for me for the rest of my life.”  

 For Annalise, this academic web has also led to many opportunities outside the classroom. She describes the classes she’s taken at both colleges as, “the backbone and foundation for the internships and jobs I’ve had.” From her participation in an Art Business Program during her semester abroad in London, to interning at Sotheby's in New York, she says, “I’ve been able to gain valuable experience in the global art market, auction houses, and the global art community in a manageable and seamless way.” Most recently, Annalise has worked for the Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia, as an Archives Intern, “My favorite part of this internship has been the ability to learn about the visual arts community in Philly! Once a week, we did “site visits” at various museums and collecting institutions in Philly to learn more about their archival systems and practices.” In the spring semester, she will participate in a Museum Studies Praxis course while holding an internship at the Penn Museum. Annalise attributes her ability to find these opportunities to both the Career and Civic Engagement Center and her professors, saying, “I had their support in getting approval for and getting funded for these experiences, which has made it surprisingly easy.”  

As if she wasn’t busy enough, Annalise is also involved Art Club and BACaSO, an affinity group on campus. She has also utilized her research skills for the Monument Lab's ARCH: Art Remediating Campus Histories project on campus. For someone who initially waited until the last minute to declare a major because she “didn’t want to be streamlined down any path,” Annalise has been pleasantly surprised by how supported she has been in exploring and connecting her interests. While she wraps up her senior year, Annalise reflects all the way back to that beginning of her college search, “I knew that something I wanted in a community was to feel part of something bigger than myself, and that’s here at Bryn Mawr.” Annalise has weaved an extraordinary and purposeful web of connections and experiences, and they will undoubtedly travel with her wherever she ends up next.