糖心Vlog

鈥淚 am never going to Georgia Southern,鈥� graduating senior Whitley Gatch recalls saying as a high school student. 

Before the coronavirus pandemic set Gatch on a track to earning her undergraduate degrees in history and at 糖心Vlog, her mind was firmly set on attending any other school. She鈥檇 spent enough time on campus already, she insisted, drawing on memories from her childhood when she toddled around the office of her mom, Delena Gatch, Ph.D., an associate professor and the associate vice president of institutional effectiveness and accreditation. But when the crowded hallways of Gatch鈥檚 high school raised the risk of bringing infection home to her aging grandparents and an immunocompromised family member, she knew she needed to reconsider the university she鈥檇 once ruled out.

This led Gatch to consider dual enrollment at Georgia Southern, where she could get a head start on college credits while fulfilling remaining requirements for her high school diploma without sacrificing the safety of her family. At Georgia Southern, Gatch was relieved by the virtual and hybrid course model during the pandemic, which helped maintain social distancing without slowing down educational opportunities. Before committing, though, she sat down to have a talk with her mom.

鈥淢y mom and I agreed that if I was going to start dual enrollment, I should take a subject I enjoy,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 found a course in anthropology that fulfilled a social science requirement for high school, and the rest is history 鈥� literally.鈥�

History and anthropology have always interested Gatch. Her family often traveled with her mother when she attended conferences across the country, and they made a point of visiting historical battlefields. From their visits, Gatch became fascinated by the Civil War era, and has made the era her academic focus since graduating from high school and enrolling as a full-time college student.

鈥淚 absolutely ate my words,鈥� she laughed, reflecting on her decision to stay at Georgia Southern. 鈥淚 realized there鈥檚 no better place to be.鈥�

The opportunity to center her studies on conflict archaeology sealed the deal for Gatch. Now, when she visits historical sites like , one of the largest prisoner-of-war camps in the Civil War, she has a trowel in hand to dig up bullets and other artifacts. With her findings, she can construct an archeological lens for understanding the social aspects of the time period and the implications of violence and warfare.

One of Gatch鈥檚 projects is currently on display in the Henderson Library on Georgia Southern鈥檚 Statesboro Campus. Having noticed the lack of representation for African American soldiers based in southeast Georgia, Gatch worked with Professor Brian K. Feltman, Ph.D., her classmates and staff in the Library鈥檚 Special Collections department to build 鈥�,鈥� an exhibit that displays letters written by local soldiers along with military gear and books related to the time period. Among the artifacts are a gas mask and helmet that Gatch was entrusted to collect from the University of Georgia.

鈥淚t was so fun because you鈥檝e got to think about applying the aspects that you learn in your history classes,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can write a paper, you can read the books, you can learn it, but what are you going to do with it? Creating that exhibit meant a lot because it鈥檚 a hundred years later and those soldiers are finally getting the commemoration that was given to the white soldiers who died in the same war.鈥�

Having grown up in Bulloch County, Gatch has worked on additional projects related to the area. This included , which experienced a major environmental crisis in 2011. Meanwhile, , examining the historical markers in Georgia鈥檚 Coastal Plain and low country that commemorate Sherman鈥檚 March to the Sea.

Other highlights of Gatch鈥檚 college experience include , receiving multiple academic scholarships through the Honors College, leading clubs on campus and studying abroad in Wexford, Ireland. After graduating and completing a summer internship at Ocmulgee National Park as an archaeological technician, she鈥檒l attend Yale University, where she will earn her master鈥檚 in archeology. With her graduate degree, she hopes to build more exhibits like 鈥淢ore than a Name鈥� and intends to become a professor so she can share her knowledge and enthusiasm with the next generation.

鈥淥ne of the taglines I was always given in my classes was that, as archeologists and historians, we are supposed to give a voice to the voiceless,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople like you and me will die one day, and nobody will remember us, so it鈥檚 really what鈥檚 left of people, those artifacts, that tells you about them. I like helping curate that memory.鈥�