History and Anthropology Major Discovers Career Inspiration Through Archive Work at UCM

History and Anthropology major Elliot McGinnis will graduate with a bachelor’s degree during Spring 2026 Commencement.

 

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The University of Central Missouri offers a community of support, allowing students to redefine what’s possible as they forge a path to their future. With help from faculty and staff, UCM students are empowered to be the heroes of their own stories and as we prepare for Spring 2026 Commencement, the News Bureau is shining a spotlight on some of those stories.

 

Elliot McGinnis, a History and Anthropology double major from St. Louis, Missouri, will complete the first chapter of an already distinguished academic career during spring commencement at the University of Central Missouri (UCM). 

UCM wasn’t originally a top choice, but after stopping in Warrensburg for a campus visit while on the way to visit another institution, McGinnis found the perfect place to study history.

 

“I already had a passion for history that I had gotten in high school. I had some pretty amazing social studies teachers in high school. I took every history class that they offered there, and I really knew it was something that I had wanted to study,” McGinnis recalled. “And so when I found the History department here, I knew that I had found my place.

“Once I was here, I found the Anthropology department. I took Dr. (Amber) Clifford's Cultural Anthropology, and I realized that it's kind of what I have been missing a bit in my studies; I wanted some more of that human aspect of culture, and Anthropology was really the place for me to get that.”

McGinnis took full advantage of the many opportunities at UCM by joining the History Club, the Anthropology Club, and two ambassador programs, History and Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS). Ambassadors visit other classes to talk about UCM programs, and GSS ambassadors also help with campus projects such as the Closet Collective, which gathers and provides free clothing for students.

 

“I think sometimes people don't consider that those are majors that they can really use in their life,” McGinnis said. “They think that they're kind of surface level, they might not really help them in what they want to do, but they both provide skills of comprehension, reading, writing – things that can really be beneficial to any job that someone wants. They can really add a level to research that you might not have considered before of the ways different social structures impact our daily lives. I think adding that to any degree is really useful, and I like telling students about all of those benefits.”

A partnership between the UCM History program and the Missouri State Archives helped McGinnis find an internship. In an on-campus archive room, McGinnis processed 19th-century circuit court records from Pettis County, Missouri, and performed minor cleaning and restoration. As part of an Anthropology practicum, McGinnis also processed documents for the Cass County Historical Society in Harrisonville, Missouri. 

Those internship experiences sparked a new love for archival work.

“I want to teach while also working at a museum or an archive,” McGinnis said. “I just have a love for objects and documents, getting in the depths of history and people's lives and seeing what makes them them. You learn a lot about people by looking through what they own. Looking through photos, you feel like you really know these people.”

McGinnis’ involvement resume also includes serving on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, making five presentations over three years at the UCM Scholars Symposium, earning numerous History program scholarships, going on a study abroad tour to Germany and Poland, and being an Honors College student.

It was hard for McGinnis to name every faculty and staff member who offered support along the way because the list seemed endless: mentors for an honors thesis and a senior seminar paper, professors who helped with special projects, advisors who assisted with class schedules, and faculty members who were there simply to listen.

Tom Goldstein, associate professor of History, assistant director of The Honors College and coordinator of Undergraduate Research and External Scholarships, is the advisor for McGinnis’ Honors College thesis and upcoming master’s thesis. Through several collaborations, Goldstein was impressed with how McGinnis demonstrated creativity, analytical ability, knowledge of other disciplines and intellectual maturity that would be expected of a graduate student, not an undergrad.

Goldstein has seen McGinnis grow from a shy and unsure freshman into “the student you dream about having in class” – someone with immense intellectual talent and curiosity who is eager to contribute to discussions and always puts in the work.

 

“Over the years, I've seen Elliot take more intellectual risks, pushing themself to explore a bewildering array of topics as well as numerous ways to present these findings,” Goldstein said. “I have been especially impressed by Elliot's oral presentation skills, as seen in their many presentations at the UCM Scholars Symposium, including a spot last year at the prestigious Provost's Panel.”

Commencement may be around the corner, but McGinnis isn’t done with UCM just yet. The history scholar will remain in Warrensburg for another year to complete the accelerated master’s program, with hopes of eventually earning a doctorate in History and Anthropology. The ultimate goal is to work and teach at a university museum.

After starting college filled with stress and anxiety while living more than three hours from home, McGinnis said freshman Elliot wouldn’t believe where senior Elliot has ended up.

 

“I found a good group of friends. I found degree programs that I was really passionate about, and I really came out of my shell in a way I really would not have expected years ago for me to be able to do,” McGinnis said. “I don't think that would have been possible had I not gone to an institution like UCM. And so I really think past Elliot would just be really proud and impressed with where I've gotten to be.”

 

       

Check the News Bureau daily from May 4-8, as we share stories of UCM graduates who are redefining what’s possible and shaping the future, one step across the stage at a time.