Working in the museum field is a crash course in everything. A career in this field requires deftly adapting to new situations, taking on a variety of projects that span departments, managing people and tasks in all directions, and doing it all with little to no budget. This is why every museum job description includes the caveat of "other duties as assigned." While perusing through my portfolio or my LinkedIn page will give you an idea of some of the expertise I have gained over the years, here's a fun list of some of those other duties that have popped up in my 18-year career:

• Sweeping leaves off the roof of a row of 18th Century homes at Elfreth's Alley
• Hosting a fashion runway show at the Painted Bride
• Cleaning up after the horses pulling a Wells Fargo Stagecoach during a Cinco de Mayo celebration in San Diego
• Supervising television production in and around a historic site
• Running into a burning building to evacuate folks who assumed a false alarm
• Designing 12 collectible coins, having them minted, and distributing them across the country
• Throwing an impromptu prom for a science summer camp
• Performing live improvisational science demonstrations to cover for a mishap in the Planetarium
• Riding a Segway with a live snake on my neck