Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Brennan Emily Ward .
Hi Julia Brennan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Emily Ward: I’m originally from South Florida and first moved to St. Augustine in 2018 to attend Flagler College. When I picked Flagler, it was before I even knew I wanted to pursue a career in history. I made that decision the summer before I started school and little did I know how beneficial it would be for my career. I majored in Public History at Flagler and the ability to immerse myself in St. Augustine history through in class field trips and internships made pursuing a career in this field so much more exciting. I first visited the Ximenez-Fatio House on a class field trip and later volunteered with the history honors society at Flagler and eventually joined the team myself. I started at the Ximenez-Fatio House my junior year of college as an intern and worked my way into a part-time job and later a full-time job and now I’m working my way into a management position. My experience at this museum has been filled with these full circle moments that help reassure me in what I’m doing. I started this journey with a class visit and an internship and now I’ve managed a Flagler intern and I’m booking Flagler classes to take the tours that I’m giving. I look back to my first days as an intern doing small tasks for our “I Lived Here as Well” tour and I look at each year since and the steps I took to move forward to now find myself leading that program. I’m so proud to feel like I’m growing every year, and I’m so grateful for the people I work with, because it wouldn’t be possible without them. We’re a really small team and each person works incredibly hard everyday. They motivate me to work harder and their support helps me do that. I look forward to this next phase in my career and I’m excited to keep growing.
Julia Brennan: I grew up in New Jersey, right outside of New York City, and have loved going to museums since I was extremely young. I moved to St. Augustine to attend Flagler College, and have lived here on and off for over 10 years now. I started at the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum in Spring of 2020, right in the middle of Covid. My boyfriend at the time, now my husband, had already been working at the museum for a few years. While the house was closed to the public, I would come spend time there while he worked in the gardens. During that season, I got to know the staff and really connected with the museum. I was first hired part-time as a docent, leading tours and helping with photography. Later, I moved into a full time role as Communications and Social Media Coordinator. During my time here, I have worked on so many projects that I am proud of. Starting in May, myself and my coworker, Emily Ward, will step into the position of Co-Director. I am really excited about this next chapter and being part of the museum’s future.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Emily Ward:I think it’s generally been a smooth ride, but that doesn’t mean I’ve never had any struggles. I think my struggles have mostly been mental and tied to certain goals or expectations I put on myself. I think when I first graduated college I was hard on myself for not being hired for a full- time position right away and feeling like the work I was doing part-time wasn’t enough. The internships I did in college had very exciting projects for me to work on and when I graduated no longer having those projects and not being in a position at the museum where I had my own projects almost made me feel like I had gone backwards even though I knew I hadn’t. I ended up getting an additional part-time job with another site in town which ended up mostly answering emails. I went through this phase of feeling unfulfilled and confused if I was doing the right thing staying in St. Augustine and hoping for a position to open up or if I needed to be making a move. I’m happy I waited because it paid off, but it was hard spending time feeling like I wasn’t utilizing skills and not knowing when an opportunity would arise.
Julia Brennan: Working at a small museum means we wear a lot of hats. There have been many times I was given a project I had never done before, and while that could be stressful, it pushed me to learn new skills like web design and audio editing. Even in the more challenging seasons, I learned so much and grew in ways I did not expect. Every challenge comes with a lesson. It’s always good to push yourself out of your comfort zone… you never know what you may learn!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum is an authentic Second Spanish Period home that offers a rare glimpse into life in St. Augustine before Henry Flagler transformed the city. In the 19th century, it was run as a boarding house by women, most notably Louisa Fatio, making it one of the oldest museums in the U.S. owned and operated by women. Today, visitors can explore the house through guided or self-guided audio tours, and enjoy special exhibits, events, and programs, making us a loved staple in St. Augustine for experiencing history, women’s stories, and early tourism in the city.
How do you define success?
Emily Ward:I think success is different for everyone, but I think it comes from a feeling of accomplishment, and I believe it can change. When I reach goals I’ve set for myself I feel successful, but then I set new goals and sometimes I lose that feeling of success until I reach the next goal especially if it’s taking me longer to get there. This goes for my personal and my work life. A fun destress day with friends is a successful day, same as completing a big project at work. For me personally, I feel most successful when I feel happy and secure.
Julia Brennan: I think success looks different for everyone. For me, it is being proud of what I have accomplished and feeling at peace with where I am in life. It is about growth, fulfillment, and doing work that feels meaningful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ximenezfatiohouse.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theximenezfatiohouse/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XFHouse/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheXimenezFatioHouseMuseum
