Curiosity: A Docent’s Catalyst for Connection
By Jeremiah Washington
After my high school’s alumni event, my favorite teacher asked me a simple question about my college experience: “What did you learn?” Despite my involvement in Forsyth Tech’s Global Scholars of Distinction program, I struggled to answer, realizing I had spent college understanding the world around me more than myself. With summer break and my final semester approaching, their question lingered.
Feeling puzzled about my identity, I found comfort in the film Mona Lisa Smile, which explores self-discovery through art. A scene about Vincent Van Gogh’s struggles with his unconventional artistic choices resonated deeply with me. It was reassuring to see that even a celebrated artist wrestled with identity. In July, the Van Gogh exhibition came to Winston-Salem, and I went.
In the exhibit’s projection room, everything clicked as I learned about his travels to France, his mental health struggles, and his love for life. Inspired by his journey, I signed up to volunteer at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
During my first visit to the art museum, Stephani Eaton gave me a tour of the Reynolda estate. Touring the house felt like a magical walk through the estate’s layered past, as an ordinary sofa in RJ’s study became the legendary napping spot of President Truman. Sensing my amazement, Stephani encouraged me to enroll in her fall docent training course. After reviewing my 2025 Fall schedule, I signed up.
The course covered Reynolda’s landscape, decorative arts & architecture, era, objects, and more. Each volunteer would research a Reynolda Estate resident or employee and deliver a 5-minute capstone presentation to become a docent. As the newest and youngest volunteer in the course, I wondered whether the steep learning curve would put me at a disadvantage.
Just as I began doubting myself, Stephani revealed something crucial about the course: “The purpose of being a docent is not to show off how much you know, but to ensure that every guest at Reynolda can connect with the story of the house and feel encouraged to return.” Her words inspired me, reminding me of how mesmerized I was by the Van Gogh exhibit and her tour. So, despite how unfamiliar I was, I decided I would embrace curiosity as my biggest strength.
The course was an academic and personal exploration, as we completed architectural scavenger hunts around the house, analyzed our emotional reactions to paintings before diving deeper into their historical context, and placed historical moments for Reynolda and the U.S. on a timeline that stretched from the 1700s to the present. I had fun discovering the world around me with more academic and emotional nuance and understanding.
On capstone day, I presented on Z. Smith Reynolds in the Smith & Libby exhibition. My talk wasn’t perfect, but seeing Stephani engaged and surprised was rewarding. Afterward, she shared information about Smith that I hadn’t known. Though I became a docent that day, there was still so much to learn. I learned that understanding the world begins with the courage to explore it and myself with equal wonder, and becomes meaningful when the knowledge learned can create a positive impact for others.