About the Cultural Geographer
Autobiography
My name is Emily Hammett, and my hometown is Deptford, NJ, which is about a 15 minute drive from Glassboro. I lived there my whole life with my older brother, my mother, and my father. Our dog Walton lives with us too. I also have four older sisters, though they do not live with me.
In regards to academics, I am a Rowan University student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with a minor in Applied Mathematics and a concentration in Honors Studies. This is my first semester at Rowan University, and I will graduate in Spring 2021. I enjoy my field of study, and I have intentions of pursuing a PhD after I graduate. I work as a tutor for my county college, Rowan College of South Jersey, and I volunteer as a tutor in the Mathematics Learning Center for Rowan University. At the moment, my career goal is to be a math professor, but my interests may change as I explore what career options there are. I am involved in several extra-curricular activities both inside and outside of Honors: Math Team, Women Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientist (WINGS), Honors Stress Relief, and Honors Fiber Arts. In my free time, my creative interests include knitting, crocheting, reading, and drawing. I also enjoy hanging out with my friends.
Inspiration
While talking with one of my coworkers who grew up in Glassboro, she told me about the train tracks. I did not know that there were trains that went through Glassboro. Personally, I have never been on a train, though I wanted to look into the topic, and I discovered that there is an old train station that is no longer in working condition. It is now home to the Glassboro Historical Society, and it is a museum and welcome center. Thinking about how the train station evolved, I wondered about its current condition and how it had once served the community, welcoming travelers to the borough and welcoming residents back home.
I was interested in making the story of the station's past come to life, illustrating how the community has shaped the station and how the station has shaped the community. I wanted to use an important symbol in our nation's history—trains—as a lens with which to view Glassboro's cultural history. Trains, and thus train stations, have played an integral part in the development of the United States, particularly in regards to the transportation of people and cargo across long distances. I wanted to investigate the role they played in the development of Glassboro. I also explored the station's role as a welcome center, contributing to culture.