I am grateful to the Western Historical Association for awarding me the Graduate Student Prize, which made my first WHA conference a truly memorable experience. The WHA Conference is the largest conference I have ever presented at, and the first conference at which I took advantage of all the different networking events and ceremonies. I am in a unique position compared to other awardees, as I have recently graduated from a master's program and am currently applying to PhD programs. This further pushed me to use every spare minute and session as an opportunity to meet graduate students and professors. In the months leading up to the conference, I studied the program closely and meticulously planned every hour of the three days.

After the eleven-hour drive through miles of Texas and New Mexico desert, my colleague, Madeline Johnson, and I finally arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On the drive up, I reached out to multiple professors and graduate students at potential PhD programs I plan to apply to this upcoming cycle. I hit the ground running and met up with a graduate student right as we stepped into the hotel on Wednesday night. After an invigorating two-hour conversation about the program, our research, and the application process, I moseyed off to bed feeling excited for the days to follow.

Madeline and I woke up bright and early the next morning to meet up with Dr. Valerio-Jimenez before our 8 o’clock panel, “Critical Histories of Archives in Texas”. Although we struggled with the AV system, the intimate, casual setting created a great atmosphere for engaging with fellow public historians and archivists. The next panel I was particularly excited for was “Emotional Frontiers: Towards a History of Feelings in the North American West”, because the panel focused on queer and Chicano activism. What was most striking to me was Magaly Ordonez’s presentation on the cannabis culture and queer activism in the 1970s. The panel inspired me to consider how/if cannabis culture influenced queer activism in San Antonio during the 1970s.

When “Doing Queer History” was added to the program at the last minute, I was ecstatic! The session led to an open discussion among professors, students, and public historians about the current state of queer history, the issues, and ongoing political developments. The inclusive and caring atmosphere during the session and for the entire conference cultivated a safe environment that allowed all scholars to speak freely. As a historian from Texas, I understand the importance and urgency of these conversations. As a new historian in queer history, it was informative to hear from historians who have been researching queer history for much longer than I have.

Between sessions, I had the opportunity to talk with professors about what I am looking for in a PhD program and to understand how programs can vary. To end the long day, I headed to the presidential plenary and the graduate student reception! Not only was the food so needed after a long day, but it also allowed me to unwind with fellow graduate students and make connections for future potential collaborations. I meet archivists from Big Bend, Kentucky, and Phd students from Massachusetts and Lubbock, Texas. Everyone was so nice and eager to share their research interests, as well as suggest potential sources, archives, or ideas that might help my research.

Friday was another early morning since I sat on another panel titled “New Voices in the Histories of Gender and Sexuality in the American West”. Before the session, I met the other amazing historians working in the field of gender and sexuality in the West, and hearing about their research was truly captivating and inspiring. It was an amazing feeling to be surrounded by peers who were in similar stages of their research and building connections within our field. In uncertain times, it is easy to become disillusioned with reality, but I left this session being reminded that I am not alone in my experience and that others are as determined as I am to preserve this history.

After my session, I spoke with attendees who shared similar research interests with me and exchanged information and reading suggestions. The rest of my day was packed with panels, one of my favorites was “Market Relationships and the Migrant Entrepreneurs”, where I learned about new histories of swap meets and street vendors in Los Angeles, California, alongside histories of Indigenous Hawaiian lei markets in Honolulu, Hawaii. One of the biggest takeaways was Dr. Julia Brown Bernstein’s concept “plazamaking,” which describes how migrants create a sense of belonging and adapt to life in urban Los Angeles in the neoliberal era. As someone interested in Mexican American history, Dr. Bernstein’s presentation demonstrated various ways to analyze foundational concepts in the field, such as identity, cultural negotiation, and autonomy.

The last event I attended was the award ceremony, where I gathered with all the friends I made throughout the conference and congratulate my fellow historians on their accomplishments in history. On the long drive home, I reflected on my experience at the WHA Conference and felt supported with a renewed sense of purpose. I am deeply grateful to the WHA for this opportunity and to every person who shared their work and encouragement with me, and I look forward to carrying this momentum into the next chapter of my academic journey.