Since earning his M.A. in history and a certificate in public history from Virginia Tech in 2021, Clay Adkins has used his passion for community-based historical work to help preserve and share regional histories. As the Research Director at the Calfee Community & Cultural Center in Pulaski, Virginia, he has spent the last few years conducting oral history interviews, developing exhibits, supporting student interns, and writing grants that help bring underrepresented histories to light. His background in public history helped him navigate the complex, often sensitive process of community engagement, where adaptability, empathy, and active listening are just as important as research skills.

Now, he’s returned to the Virginia Tech Department of History in a new role: Community Engagement Coordinator. Adkins is excited to help students connect their classroom learning with meaningful, real-world work and to build strong partnerships between the department and communities across the region. “I feel like my public history and community work over the last few years have been working towards this opportunity,” said Adkins.

In this Q&A, he reflects on the experiences that led him to this role and shares his vision for building stronger student support systems, collaborative partnerships, and a deeper connection between history and community. Along the way, he also reminds us of the importance of exploring the arts and welcomes anyone who wants to talk music, literature, or history to stop by his office in Major Williams 417.

How have you utilized your history degree since graduating?  
Since 2021, I’ve worked as the Research Director for the Calfee Community & Cultural Center. I utilize my history degree every day in my role as Research Director, including conducting oral history interviews with community members, developing content for museum exhibits and social media posts, researching archival materials, working with student interns on the Quiet Courage Exhibits and the 23/54 Project, and writing grants for public history projects with the Calfee team.  

What drew you to the Community Engagement Coordinator position, and what are you most looking forward to in this position? 
The chance to return to Virginia Tech’s campus community, especially within the History Department, is what initially drew me to this position. The added opportunity to continue working in the public history field in Southwest Virginia by strengthening community partnerships for the department and helping emerging historians and students build collaborative professional relationships matched my interests and experiences.

I’m looking forward to engaging with community members and students to develop effective and innovative collaborations that preserve and circulate the under-told, silenced, and buried histories of the many communities of Virginia. I’m also looking forward to meeting history students and new community members at events.

How has the public history certificate helped you in your career?  
It has taught me that it's okay to be uncomfortable , experience the unfamiliar, and make mistakes. I think when you're a graduate student, you have this overwhelming fear of failure, saying something wrong, or making a mistake. That fear can overtake your ability to learn and evolve, as well as stifle your capabilities to work with colleagues. When collaborating with various communities, you need to be able to acknowledge mistakes, adapt, work outside of your comfort zone, and keep moving forward.

What does community engagement mean to you? 
To me, community engagement means providing a space for community partners and students to have more decision-making in the historic preservation of local and regional histories. Community engagement allows students and young historians the opportunity to witness first-hand the power of history in our communities on an individual and collective level, while also teaching valuable lessons on the greater responsibility of the history discipline.  

What kind of support systems are you hoping to create around internships for students? 
I’m hoping to create orientation sessions for students who pursue internships to discuss the practical aspects of being an intern, as well as the ethical responsibility of historians. I also want to hold regular check-ins that offer an open space for students to provide feedback, ask questions, and connect with one another. 

What advice would you give to students entering internships and students who are interested in public-facing or community-oriented careers? 
To maintain open communication, try to keep an open mind with empathy, and focus on the history/preservation work, regardless of the specific context, because oftentimes the historical work that you achieve within local and regional communities will outlast any local politics or personal differences.

I would advise students interested in public-facing or community-oriented careers to seek professional and educational development opportunities that strengthen interpersonal skills and volunteer in their communities. Volunteering your time for others in local communities will help you empathize with personal experiences and situations beyond your own and find new ways to engage with local communities through each experience. 

You’ve seen the department from multiple perspectives — student, alum, and now staff. What does it mean to you to work with the department in this new way? 
It means a great deal to me. To be in this new role with these responsibilities, I feel like my public history and community work over the last few years, all the peaks and valleys, have been working towards this opportunity in the long run. 

It seems like I’ve come full circle. I get quite a laugh each time I look from my new office, which used to be my advisor’s office, towards the old graduate student office I used to inhabit. I have a lot of memories from my my time working towards my master’s here in Major Williams. I carry all those experiences, skills, and memories with me in this new role and in the communities I collaborate with.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers? 
I love a solid monograph or historical analysis, but exploring and discovering art, music, and literature beyond K-12 requirements was a life-altering experience throughout my academic and professional career. I encourage everyone to find music, art, or literature that really moves and challenges you, and don’t pay too much attention to critics or people who say it isn’t worth your time. If you'd like any recommendations or just want to chat, stop by my office in Major Williams 417.