Tag: Millennials
Call for Volunteers
September 17, 2015
Young genealogists don’t always have a lot of time on their hands. Whether we’re preoccupied with school, careers, families, or all of the above, it can be hard to find a spare hour to research our own family history, much less engage with the genealogical community at conferences or online.
We know your time is valuable. That’s why we’ve broken down our volunteer opportunities into bite-sized pieces. Are you squeezing in one genealogy conference this year? You can spend your lunch break there as a Meetup Coordinator. Are you always on Facebook and Twitter? Do double-duty and help us engage with our online community as a Social Media Assistant.
Read about these opportunities and more below:
- Content Contributor: If you love to write and would like to expand your professional exposure by reaching out to a growing community of young genealogists, consider writing for us. Learn more…
- Social Media Assistant: Can’t stay away from Facebook and Twitter? Volunteer your time online to share content and engage with our active community of young genealogists. Learn more…
- Graphic Design Assistant: If dreaming up eye-catching graphics and getting creative on Canva.com is your idea of a good time, help us connect with the next generation of genealogists. Learn more…
- Community Liaison: Are you planning to attend an upcoming genealogy conference? Do you love to meet new people? Represent our organization wherever you may be. Learn more…
- Meetup Coordinator: Whether you plan to attend a local, state, regional, or national genealogy conference, we encourage you to lead a fun and informal meetup event for young genealogists. Learn more…
Have a different idea? Complete our Volunteer Application and let us know how you’d like to get involved. We would love to have you join our growing team of volunteers – all dedicated to engaging the next generation of genealogists.
Faces of NextGen: Meet Beth Wylie
September 7, 2015
Beth Garison Wylie, 39, Oklahoma
What five words would you use to describe yourself? Focused, determined, traveler, excited (about NextGen!), and family oriented.
Why genealogy? I have always loved history. I majored in it in college. I feel that genealogy makes history more relevant and personal as it connects you to the major and not so major events that shaped the world in a way that a book never can. Also, my grandmother was very interested in genealogy and she passed down that love to me.
What’s the coolest discovery you’ve made? Every month it seems I make the next “coolest” discovery! I suppose that a few of my ancestors were some of the earliest founders of this country, at Jamestown and New Amsterdam.
What are you working on this week? This week I am working on the mystery of my husband’s Wylie line. The story in his family is that his great grandfather was adopted by Scottish immigrants around 1900, but as his great grandfather has been gone many years and never spoke about his origins, it has been difficult to verify. I made some headway this week with census records, a passport application, some city directory listings and a tombstone photo. Now just waiting on a social security application to confirm his parents (adopted or not) are who I think they are. Once I have that, I will request his birth certificate.
What’s the number one secret to your success in genealogy? Patience. A distant cousin once told me that, “Ancestors will let you find them when they want to be found.” Sometimes when I hit a brick wall, I walk away. Either they aren’t ready to be found, or I need to rethink my approach.
Anything else you’d like to share? I am so excited to be involved with NextGen! I wish this group had been around in my early twenties. It is wonderful and inspiring to be involved with other young genealogists!
The NextGen Genealogy Network is made up of young genealogists with diverse backgrounds, interests, and experiences. Faces of NextGen will showcase a different member of our community each month. If you would like to be considered for an upcoming feature, simply complete our questionnaire and submit a selfie.
Faces of NextGen: Meet Jana Greenhalgh
August 10, 2015
Jana Greenhalgh, 33, Utah
What five words would you use to describe yourself? Mother, genealogist, busy, busy, busy.
Why genealogy? My grandfather inspired me as a teenager. He introduced me to genealogical research, and that led me to a BA degree in Genealogy at Brigham Young University. Genealogy makes me happy, and I’m especially happy when I’m teaching it to others or involving my six kids in my research!
What’s the coolest discovery you’ve made? Not long ago, our family discovered a beautiful old photograph of one of our ancestors. We’ve studied and admired her for years but had no idea what she looked like. A distant cousin had the photo in their possession and had recently posted it online.
What are you working on this week? A movie script with my kids. We’re using censuses and other records to tell the story of their great-grandfather.
What’s the number one secret to your success in genealogy? Enthusiasm.
What superpower would you want to help you uncover your family history? I’d like to be able to research all night long while the baby sleeps (without feeling the effects of sleeplessness the next morning).
What are we most likely to find you doing when you’re not researching family history? Laundry, dishes, carpools, kid-homework, and maybe gardening or knitting.
Anything else you’d like to share? My kids would be ecstatic if you’d check out our movies at The Genealogy Kids YouTube Channel and our blog. More views means more motivation for these kiddos! They especially like “likes,” comments, and subscribers.
The NextGen Genealogy Network is made up of young genealogists with diverse backgrounds, interests, and experiences. Faces of NextGen will showcase a different member of our community each month. If you would like to be considered for an upcoming feature, simply complete our questionnaire and submit a selfie.
Faces of NextGen: Meet Michael Melendez
July 13, 2015
Michael Melendez, 25, Utah
What five words would you use to describe yourself? Shy, old soul, unorthodox, observant, ambitious.
Why genealogy? Because it brings family stories and historical events into cohesion.
What’s the coolest discovery you’ve made? That NextGen exists!
What are you working on this week? The Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree.
What’s the number one secret to your success in genealogy? Gleaning more information from a record than the average person.
What superpower would you want to help you uncover your family history? Time travel.
What are we most likely to find you doing when you’re not researching family history? Political activism.
The NextGen Genealogy Network is made up of young genealogists with diverse backgrounds, interests, and experiences. Faces of NextGen will showcase a different member of our community each month. If you would like to be considered for an upcoming feature, simply complete our questionnaire and submit a selfie.