Past Perfect: Wylie High Alumna Turns Love of History Into Community-Focused Museum Career

When Wylie High School Class of 2018 graduate Emily Chavez told people she planned to major in history, she often heard the same question: So, you’re going to be a history teacher?

With her mom working in education and her dad having studied history, Chavez initially thought teaching might be her path. Still, she was curious about other ways to pursue her passion for the subject.

That curiosity led her to a career she loves. She may not be in the classroom, but she is teaching.

Her love for history first sparked in her AP U.S. History class at WHS, where she found herself not just studying the past, but connecting with it.

“Ms. (Amy) Hunt was really passionate about what she taught,” Chavez said. “I fell in love with history in her class.”

That passion followed her to college, where she eventually earned her Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of North Texas and a Master of Arts in History with an emphasis in Public History from Texas Woman’s University.

While attending UNT, she digitized historic newspapers for the free website, Portal to Texas History. Chavez scanned century-old newspapers and built searchable collections. She also volunteered at the Garland Landmark Museum, helping preserve local stories.

Those experiences led her to the career she has today. Chavez is the Heritage Crossing Coordinator for the City of Garland, the only full-time employee at the museum.

As the coordinator, she designs museum exhibits, manages volunteers, schedules and leads field trips, researches and curates traveling and in-house historical displays, and plans community cultural events.

“I love that we connect with the community,” Chavez said. “We are such a small museum, I have learned to do everything. I love seeing kids' faces light up when they make connections between the past and their own lives.”

Chavez recently curated and installed the Texas Tamales: Wrapped in Tradition exhibit, currently on display at Garland City Hall.

She researched local “tamale men,” interviewed families, partnered with local restaurants, and produced the exhibit panels and video stories herself.

The opening night of the Texas Tamales exhibit included a mariachi band and members of the Garland City Council. It was one of the most stressful, yet rewarding moments of her career.

“Seeing something you worked so hard on become real is incredible,” she said. “There is so much pride in tamale-making. It’s a labor of love shared across generations, and I wanted people to see that.”

Chavez’s mother, Julie Gray, a Title I Instructional Facilitator at Hartman Early Childhood Learning Center, remembers the doubt her daughter faced when pursuing her degree in history.

“People would ask, ‘What will you do with a history degree?’” Gray said. “Now, at 25, she is the coordinator of a museum, loves her job, and excels at it. Not everyone follows the traditional path in engineering, teaching, accounting, etc. Emily would be questioned every time she was asked about her major. I want kids to know that you can chase your dreams, even if no one around you ‘gets it!’”

Chavez agrees.

“I love telling people about what I do,” she said. “I especially love telling high schoolers about the opportunities they could have and what they can do to enjoy history in careers outside of teaching. They can preserve culture, design exhibits, connect with their community, and make history come alive.”

The community can see how Chavez helps bring history to life through the Texas Tamales: Wrapped in Tradition exhibit, open through Jan. 3 at Garland City Hall, 200 N. Fifth Street in Garland, Texas. Visit this free exhibit Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit the Visit Garland TX website.

From AP U.S. History at Wylie High School to leading cultural preservation in Garland, Chavez proves that passion has a place, and it can turn into a career you love!

Emily Chavez is Proud to be Wylie ISD.