Student Spotlight - Mary Grace Meadows

From Prattville, Alabama, Mary Grace Meadows is a first-year student in the ECU Occupational Therapy program. Prior to becoming a Pirate, she attended Auburn University for her undergraduate degree. Since June 2024, Mary Grace has served as a graduate assistant in Laupus Library’s History Collections, located on the 4^th floor.

Please describe in a sentence or two the work that you do for Laupus Library’s History Collections.

I am the graduate assistant for the History Collections department and help the archivist search/maintain our collections and promote the archives. I also help assist students and interested community members when researching topics in our collections.

What has been most interesting to you about your work?  What new things have you learned? Have you made any surprising discoveries?

The most interesting thing has been exploring the archives that are housed in our collections and the Country Doctor Museum. I have also learned about the history of ECU’s medical school and health care in Greenville/surrounding areas. I’ve found a lot of old news clippings, diaries, and medical equipment that are all about the buildings and people that shaped medicine in North Carolina.

What would you say makes archives important? Why should students, faculty, and members of the community use our archives?

Archives allow us to see a glimpse into the past of ECU and health care. Using these archives helps us see the growth we have made as a community and school throughout the years. They have valuable information from previous practices and historical events that can help guide our current choices.

What are you studying, and what do you hope to do in your future career?  Has your work in the History Collections influenced this in any way?

I’m studying occupational therapy and hope to become an occupational therapist! History Collections has shown an even greater importance on documentation and using the knowledge of those before you.