KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 27, 2025

Growing up, Kelly was deeply influenced by her family’s gardening traditions. Her grandparents maintained a backyard full of vegetables, a practice her parents continued with their own garden.

During the years of World War I and World War II, Americans turned to their backyards and community spaces to cultivate “Victory Gardens.” These small, homegrown plots of vegetables and fruits became a symbol of resilience and patriotism, as citizens sought to support the war effort by reducing the demand on public food supply. Inspired by this historical movement, Kelly Hoomes, Research Specialist at the KSU Museums, Archives and Rare Books (MARB) and a recent KSU graduate of the Master of Arts in American Studies program (MAST), chose to focus her capstone project on victory gardens.

Growing up, Kelly was deeply influenced by her family’s gardening traditions. Her grandparents maintained a backyard full of vegetables, a practice her parents continued with their own garden. These early experiences instilled in her a love for gardening and an appreciation for the self-sufficiency it provided. “The resurgence of victory gardens prompted me to explore how the World War victory garden movements transformed vegetable gardening into powerful symbols of what people can do for themselves or their country in times of trouble,” Kelly explains. When it came time to create her capstone project, Kelly drew on these formative memories and her passion for history to develop a traveling trunk titled “Victory Gardens: Helping on the Homefront.” This project aims to educate students about the historical significance of victory gardens, highlighting how these gardens have transformed into powerful symbols of self-sufficiency and community support.

The traveling trunk was created by a developmental process for the content and materials that allowed it to be easily accessible and interesting to fifth graders. Lesson plan activities were made using references from the Georgia Department of Education’s Georgia Standards of Excellence. Kelly worked closely with Museum of History and Holocaust Education (MHHE) interim director Dr. Andrea Miskewicz, who previously worked as MHHE’s education manager and middle school teacher. To appeal to the fifth-graders, Kelly explains that she “incorporated hands-on activities and made connections to what was in their world.” This included allowing the students to handle artifacts and plant seeds while analyzing content, while also making gardening a simpler task.

 Public history projects like the traveling trunk make history accessible by removing barriers and directly presenting history to people. The traveling trunk is utilized in schools and outdoor exhibits to learn and make connections. Kelly states that “the content inspires people to make changes in their lives and communities based on what they learn. It affects people. Public history projects bring history alive.” Projects like Kelly’s have the capacity to introduce people to new perspectives.

Kelly hopes that the students using the traveling trunk will learn that similarly to the victory gardens of the World Wars, growing and eating healthy foods can encourage hope and solution in communities. She hopes that students will find inspiration from a period where people came together despite hardships. The initial response from students and teachers has been positive. “We should get a good set of feedback in May when MHHE will use the trunk during their Homeschool Day about food and war,” Kelly states. After that, more responses to the project are expected.

Driven by a desire to find a program that extended beyond traditional historical analysis, Kelly chose to pursue a degree in American Studies. Her interest in the composition and culture of America led her to discover that the American Studies program offered a variety of valuable tools for her academic journey. “After years of working in the field and struggling to find a master’s program that truly resonated with me, I finally discovered the American Studies program at KSU,” she explains. The faculty and staff provided a supportive environment, with professors who genuinely cared about her learning and well-being. Additionally, the library and writing center proved to be invaluable resources throughout her studies.

The American Studies program offered plenty of valuable experiences to gain new skills and expand a portfolio. It provided Kelly a chance to present a conference paper at the Southeastern American Studies Conference in Atlanta in 2023. Other memorable experiences included working on a digital project for Humanities Action Lab and El Refugio and translating letters from detained individuals at Steward Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. “It was a moving and memorable experience that forever changed the way I see immigrants and detained individuals.” The program provided Kelly with valuable skills and knowledge, promoting critical thinking and enhancing her research capabilities. Kelly explains, “When I work on analyzing research or curating exhibits, I’m able to incorporate meaningful content that broadens perspectives and hopefully inspires people.” The American Studies program helped her understand narrative origins and establish new ways to approach common themes and attitudes found in American history or culture. Kelly also recently won the Outstanding Student Scholar for Masters of American Studies for the 2024-2025 school year.  

Equipped with a master’s degree from KSU, Kelly is well-prepared to advance in her field, and she plans to continue working on linking history, nature, and science. Her particular interests include promoting “food sovereignty and self-sufficiency” and helping people engage with natural and cultural resources while expanding on the stories people tell. Kelly is currently working with an applied research intern at the MHHE to expand MHHE's victory garden vegetable plots.

For anyone considering the Master of Arts in American Studies at KSU, Kelly offers valuable advice. “Think about your research and what inspires you,” she explains. “Then, look at the MAST website and course catalog to make connections. Envision how you could apply the material to your career.” She also suggests reflecting on the objectives of the MAST program and how it could make you a better researcher, journalist, or teacher, or other careers. Additionally, she stresses the importance of utilizing the community as a resource for helpful tips and information. “Enroll in the Master of Arts in American Studies program at KSU if you wonder what it means to be an American, are inspired by social and cultural movements, question history and its relevance to current events, or strive to make a difference,” Kelly concludes.

 

• By Emily Franke

Photos by Darnell Wilburn