From MSU to Northwestern: A Journey Shaped by Digital Humanities

When Taylor Hughes-Barrow arrived at MSU, she never expected all the opportunities that would come her way. Taylor has always been passionate about education reform, but she was not sure which direction she wanted to take towards that path. 

She switched her course of study from Political Science to Human Development and Family Studies, and had a minor in law. Taylor strived to combine all of her interests from education, development, law/policy to media/technology, but wasn’t sure how to bring these interests all together. She longed for a creative element in her studies to highlight her research in a way that meets people where they are, through art and technology. 

She came across an internship with the Global Digital Humanities (DH) Symposium that changed everything. What began as an internship turned into a job position with the DH program. She created newsletters and worked on committees, which exposed her to all of the possibilities Digital Studies had to offer. She soon became a Digital Studies (DS) minor, a place where her interests converged and her creativity and research flourished. 

Through Kristen Mapes’s Intro to Digital Humanities, DH 285, she worked with her peers to design and build an immersive exhibit highlighting the women that served in the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFAA). She had the opportunity to present at conferences, design educational immersive experiences and even published her first review. She learned how to use storytelling and visualizations to make research accessible. Just as importantly, she built relationships with mentors and peers that gave her confidence and community.

Now, in her second year of her PhD program in Learning Sciences at Northwestern, she has found a program where she can combine all of her interests and skills. She balances coursework, teaching, and exploring labs while preparing for her dissertation path. She credits the people and programs at MSU for teaching her to advocate for herself, take risks, and show up authentically.

Her advice to students: try everything, build connections, and dream big even if your path is

unconventional or unknown, cultivate your own journey! Looking back, she says DH didn’t just give her skills; it gave her the permission to be curious, creative, and bold, guidance she still carries today.