Olga Burgess - Visitor Services Representative
Olga works in the museum’s gift shop and plays an important role in helping children select souvenirs that will capture their museum memories and inspire them to conserve nature.
Read on to get to know Olga better.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED AT THE MUSEUM?
I’ve been working in the museum’s gift shop for nine months.
WHAT’S YOUR WORKDAY LIKE?
Some days, it’s very busy and I’m checking people out all day, and some days, I have a little more time to re-stock inventory, clean, and make sure everything is in order up front.
ANY FUNNY STORIES TO TELL?
There are definitely some funny moments. I think my favorite one is when I first started and I made a mistake answering a phone call. My coworker and I were talking about a bank when the phone rang.
Instead of answering it like I usually do, I picked up and said “Mississippi Museum of Natural Bank of America.” I immediately froze and had no idea what to say after that.
Thankfully, the person on the phone was one of our educators and he just laughed about it.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND & EDUCATION
Originally, I’m from Russia - that’s a lot of folks’ first question. I grew up in VA on a beautiful farm with beautiful animals. I especially loved riding the horses.
Nowadays, I’m married to a wonderful husband and we have two amazing children.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?
Since I grew up on a farm, I always wanted to work in an environment that helps children to learn about science and nature.
Olga at the MS Science Fest event at the museum.
HOW DOES YOUR JOB CONTRIBUTE TO CONSERVATION?
I work in the gift shop, which a lot of kids get really excited about! They get a souvenir to remember their time with us and I think it reminds them of how excited they were to learn about nature.
I like to think they remember that excitement when they get older and start thinking about how to preserve the nature that brought them so much joy.
ANY ADVICE FOR A STUDENT INTERESTED IN A BIOLOGY OR MUSEUM CAREER?
Volunteer at the museum as much as possible! You will always learn something new, you get valuable professional experience, and you’ll also have lots of fun!
